


In the Heart of the Storm

by xxDustNight88



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Pregnancy, Smut, Storms, magical storm, old writing please don't judge me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-25 16:36:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 26,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14981177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxDustNight88/pseuds/xxDustNight88
Summary: A severe Magic Storm is affecting most of Britain. Hermione and Draco are holed up at the Burrow with their friends and families. What will transpire between these people. Can they overcome their differences once and for all? *Edited as of 6/19/18 for the tenth anniversary of the story*





	1. One: The Warning

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, loves! First of all, this is not the original author's note. It has been changed as I have edited this story for it's ten-year anniversary. This was originally posted on June 19, 2008. Ten years later, I decided to celebrate my oldest story still on ffn by editing and updating the chapters, as well as finally uploading it to Ao3. Now, while I have gone through and edited each chapter, it has not been revised. Please be aware, this is not my current writing style and I spent a great amount of time giggling over how different my style has changed over the course of ten years. I do hope you enjoy it nonetheless. Thank you for reading! Enjoy!
> 
> A super HUGE thank you to starrnobella who beta/alpha read this thing. I enjoyed her comments and helping me fix portions of this that were horribly outdated and just cringe worthy. Any other mistakes or horrible cliches you find are my own! Much love, xxDustNight
> 
> Disclaimer: All non-original characters, plot points, and information belong to J.K. Rowling. The story plot and dialogue belong to me. I do not write for profit.

Hermione stood staring out her bedroom window. Finally, it was her day off and she got to sleep in for once. She smiled, knowing that it was nearly one in the afternoon. Being an early riser most days to make it to work at St. Mungo's, this was heaven for her. Hermione had been Head Healer in the Emergency Ward for nearly seven years. She loved her job, but sometimes she felt run down. Luckily, her boss was in town and training a new batch of Healer's. He told her she could take a few days off and he would train the newbies so she wouldn't have any more stress on her shoulders. She was thankful for the break and looked forward to getting a few things done around the house.

Suddenly, Hermione's attention was drawn towards the horizon where dark clouds seemed to be gathering. Sure, they were still miles and miles away, but she knew that later that day there would be a Magic Storm. Muggles would call this a Thunderstorm or Electrical storm, but wizards knew what they really were: a condensed and dangerous amount of highly sensitive magic. Hermione frowned at the sky. She hadn't heard anything about a storm today.

Bustling over to her nightstand, she turned on her magic radio. A song by the Weird Sisters was playing so she walked to her closet to find something to wear. She hummed along with the song as she pulled on a pair of blue jeans and a loose fitting maroon t-shirt. She slipped on some flip flops and walked to the bed to make it. Finally, the song ended and the weather came on. Hermione finished with the bed and sat upon it to listen.

' _A Magical Storm Warning is in effect for the area until six am tomorrow morning. It should be entering the area early this evening. Please take precaution as this is going to be a severe storm. Try not to use magic or highly intensive spells until it is over. Please do not attempt Apparating or using the Floo Network until it has passed as this could result in Splinching or arriving at the wrong destinations. For more information, stay tuned, and please be careful._ '

And, with that said, music began again.

Hermione rubbed her face with her hands and sighed. Of  _course_ her day off would have to be a magic free one. Getting up off of the bed she returned to looking out the window. It sure was dark on the horizon. She didn't doubt what the weather man had said. It definitely looked dreadful out there. With another sigh she headed out to the living room.

She stared at her bookshelves. They needed to be reorganized, sure she could do it by hand, but that would take more time than she had. She was afraid to try using her wand so close to a storm so she shrugged her shoulders and walked away. She decided to dust for a while and was almost done when her telephone rang. Putting down her rag and spray, she went into the kitchen to answer it.

"Hello?" she asked and cradled the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she began to make herself some tea.

"Hermione? Hey, it's Ginny. What are you up to?" the redhead asked.

"Oh, nothing really, just cleaning the flat a little." She poured her tea into a mug and sat down at the kitchen table. "What are you calling about?"

Ginny laughed and then said, "I was just calling to see if you wanted to come over for dinner tonight. I heard about the magic storm and I know how much better it is to just get away from the area it's occurring in." To her children she yelled, "Stop pulling her hair right now!"

Hermione sat up straighter. "That sounds great actually. I hadn't even thought of getting out of here for a while. Could I possibly stay the night since it's supposed to last until morning?" She sipped on her tea.

"Oh, of course! That's a splendid idea. I'll fix up one of the guest rooms. Merlin knows we have plenty." Then, Ginny yelled at her children some more.

Hermione shook her head with a smile. "Okay. Well, I'll go and get a bag together and see you a little later."

"Sounds like a plan! See you later!" Ginny ended the call and Hermione stood and placed her phone back in its cradle. She then made her way back to her bedroom. Setting her mug next to the radio that was now listing the area's the storm would affect, she headed to her closet to pack a few things.

She pulled out her overnight bag and began putting items into it. She threw in two pairs of jeans, a jumper, knickers, a bra, a black tank top, and her favorite green, silk pajamas. She then made her way to the loo to get her toiletries. After shoving them in the bag, she set it on the toilet and looked in the mirror.

Attempting a smile, she ran a hand through her curls. She was thirty seven years old, single, and beginning to look it. She sighed and ran the water to wash her face. She'd been single for five years, ever since she broke things off with Ron…

They had been together for nearly fourteen years, but Ron never really wanted to take it to that next level. She'd begged him for the last five years of their relationship to get engaged, even planning a wedding in her head. Then, one day, Ron freaked and told her he had no intentions of ever getting married to her. He was having too much fun with his Quidditch career to even think of taking time off to get married.

Six months after they separated, Ron came to her and explained that he and Luna Lovegood were getting married. She looked at him in utter shock and when she asked why, it was because he finally decided that the married life was the way to go. Nine months later Gabriel Weasley was born.

Hermione dried off her face with a snort and thought to herself, ' _Married life was the way to go? Yeah right, he just didn't want his first child born out of wedlock._ ' She shook her head and sighed, grabbing her make-up bag and heading back to her bedroom.

The storm was moving faster now. Dark clouds billowing out from the west and the smell of rain heavy in the air. She shivered, though it was not cold. Moving from the window she grabbed her empty mug and made her way to the kitchen. She reached the sink just as a rumble of thunder sounded. She jumped slightly. Luckily, she could tell that the storm was still far away. A glance at the wall clock showed it was nearly three thirty.

' _Maybe I should call Ginny and head out sooner. The storm seems to be moving faster,'_  She thought and picked up the telephone. She dialed the number and waited for Ginny to answer. It rang for a while before Hermione realized there would be no answer.  _'She's probably at the market. I'll call back in a little.'_

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Hermione nearly jumped out of her skin this time. She walked briskly into the living room and stood behind the door. "Who's there?" she asked.

"It's Malfoy," came the reply.

With a sigh of relief, she opened the door, "Hey, I wasn't expecting you."

"I was just coming to see if you'd heard about this magic storm that's coming." Draco asked and leaned against the doorframe, his blond hair falling about his forehead. He crossed his arms and asked, "Are you getting out of here or sticking around because they're saying it's best to find an alternate location."

She stepped back and allowed him access into the flat. "Ginny called to invite me to dinner and so we decided that I should just spend the night." She smiled at his thoughtfulness, "Do you want some tea? I was thinking of making another cup." She indicated the empty mug sitting on the kitchen counter.

He smiled and his gray eyes lit up. "Tea sounds great. I'm not too fond of storms." They walked through the living room and into the kitchen. Draco took a seat at the table and watched Hermione make the tea.

"So where are you going to wait out the storm?" Hermione asked, plunking down Malfoy's tea and taking a seat herself.

He took a sip before answering, "I think I'm going to the Manor for the night. My parents are out of the country so I can have the entire place to myself. I may even get some reading done." He finished with a smirk.

Hermione nodded her head and grinned. "Sounds like a good plan." There was another rumble of thunder and Hermione frowned. "It sounds like it's getting closer."

Nodding, Malfoy drained the rest of his mug. "I think maybe we should get moving. It's getting rather windy out." He stood and picked up Hermione's mug as well as his and placed them in the sink.

"You're probably right, Malfoy." She stood and grabbed the telephone and dialed her friend. "I'm going to call Ginny and let her know I'm coming early."

"I'll wash these while you do that," Malfoy offered, nodding at the mugs.

Hermione thanked him with a hand on his shoulder as she waited for the line to get picked up. She wandered over to the window and watched as the trees swayed back and forth from the wind. Finally, there was a click as someone picked up the line.

"Hello?" came Ginny's voice.

"Gin, it's Hermione. It's starting to get bad here; is it ok if I come over a little early?" She bit her lower lip nervously as she dark clouds swirled in the sky.

"Of course, I don't want you using magic during the actual storm! Get over here. I just got home from the market. I'll be getting started on dinner shortly."

"Thanks, Ginny. See you soon." Hermione hung up the phone as Malfoy put her now clean drinking mugs in the cupboard. "We better get moving.," she said with a smile. "Thank you for cleaning those."

"It was no bother. Thanks for the tea." They walked to the door together and then Malfoy turned and gave her a genuine smile. "See you around, Granger. Stay safe."

"You too! Bye." She shut the door behind him and went to the bedroom to get her bag so she could floo to Ginny and Harry's. Stopping at her window, she shivered again. It had started to rain and Merlin did it look awful outside. With a wave of her wand, she shut off the radio before retrieving her bag.

Just as she was about to grab some floo powder, she heard a yell from the floor below her. She dropped her bag and pulled her wand from her back pocket where she had put it earlier. Without thinking, she opened the door and walked down the stairs to Malfoy's flat. Hermione tapped on the door, worried for her friend.

"Come in," came Malfoy's voice.

She opened the door and immediately asked, "Is everything okay?" Finding nothing amiss, she her wand away.

Malfoy growled and placed his own overnight bag on the coffee table. "I'm fine but the storm has already affected the area where the Manor is located. There's no way for me to get there now." He sighed and shook his head. "I guess I'm staying here."

Hermione frowned and thought about what options Malfoy had now. On a whim, she decided to ask her next question. "Why don't you come to the Burrow with me? There are plenty of rooms. Since you and Harry have become friends during Auror training, I don't see why there would be a problem." She also knew Ginny wouldn't mind as she was always asking Hermione to bring Malfoy around now that they were friends.

Malfoy thought about the offer for a minute and then picked up his bag. "As long as you're sure Potter and his wife won't mind, it sounds like a good plan to me. Lead the way." With a wave of his wand he sealed up his flat for safe keeping.

"I'm sure it will be fine," she reassured Malfoy as she led the way back upstairs to her flat. When they were inside, she shut the door and Malfoy picked up her overnight bag.

"Thank you," Hermione said as she walked to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder. She stepped into the hearth and waved him over to join her.

Malfoy stepped into the fireplace with her and linked their arms together so they wouldn't get separated. "You're welcome," he replied, nudging her playfully with his elbow.

Giggling, Hermione threw the powder down and shouted, "The Burrow!"

In a wave of green flames, they were gone. Just as the flames died away, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky outside of Hermione's bedroom window. The storm had arrived and their lives would never be the same.


	2. Two: The Clouds Roll In

Hermione and Draco stumbled through the fireplace inside the Weasley house. Hermione managed to land upright, but Draco somehow stumbled over the hearth and landed on his bottom. Laughter erupted from the doorway, causing the two to start.

"Way to make an entrance, Malfoy," Harry said with a laugh before taking a seat at the table. "Hey there, Hermione. How are you doing?"

Hermione helped Draco to his feet as she answered, "I'm great Harry. It's been a few weeks since I've had a chance to get over here." Hermione took in the sight of the pristine kitchen. Ever since Molly and Arthur moved to the Caribbean, Ginny made sure the house was always spick and span.

Hermione moved into the room and Draco followed. Rubbing at the back of her neck, she said, "I hope you don't mind that I brought Malfoy…" She trailed off, looking uncertain.

Harry laughed and stood up to shake Draco's hand. "Of course not! What brings you here today?"

Draco shook back and then they dropped hands. "Well, I'd planned on going to the Manor, but it turns out it's surrounded by the storm. Hermione," he paused and motioned with his head, "offered for me to come and stay with you and your family."

At this time, a very pregnant Ginny bustled into the room and interrupted their conversation. "Oh! Hello, Malfoy The more the merrier!" She beamed as she checked on their dinner.

Hermione squealed, "Ginny! Look at that belly! I haven't seen you for two weeks and look how round you've gotten!" Hermione placed her hands on her best friend's belly. "You look fit to burst!"

Ginny giggled at her friend. "The doctor did say that the baby might come early… I just hope she holds off until this storm passes. It would be awfully tricky to get to St. Mungo's in this weather." Ginny looked nervous but plastered a smile on her face.

Harry came up behind Ginny and hugged her comfortingly. "Don't you worry your little head, we've got Hermione here!"

Hermione sighed, "Harry, I'm an emergency Healer, not a Delivery Healer…"

Draco, who was comfortable at the table again, smirked. "Granger, we don't think there is anything that you can't do. If your best friend suddenly bursts into labor, I'm sure you could handle it."

Hermione blushed. "Thanks, Malfoy. I just don't know…"

"I guess we just have to hope to Merlin no babies decide to pop out!" Ron had arrived with his wife, Luna, and their children in tow.

Hermione inwardly groaned and Draco caught her eye, fully knowing her disdain for her ex-boyfriend. Neither said anything, choosing to keep the unpleasant thoughts to themselves.

"What are you doing here?" Ron asked with a sneer as his eyes landed on Draco. Luna took the children into the other room, never one to get in the middle of the feud the wizards still rages.

"Oh, Ronald, give it a rest!" Ginny scolded, turning and pointing a wooden spoon in his direction.

Ron plopped down at the end of the large table and sulked. "Wow, way to sound like Mum." He shivered but said nothing further to Draco for the moment.

Harry rolled his eyes at his best friend and sat down with him. "Come on now, Mate. We have the whole night together. Hermione brought him because he can't get to a magic safe place. We're all going to get along." He eyed Ron warily, the "Start start shit and your sister will hex you" left unsaid.

With a sigh Ron conceded, "Fine, Fine. I'll behave." He took a look around the kitchen "When's dinner?" he asked just as his stomach gave a growl.

Ginny huffed, "I am nine months pregnant! I'm trying my best here!"

Hermione stepped in. "Hey! Why don't you show Draco where we'll be sleeping?" Hermione rushed, grabbing her bag and thrusting it into Harry's hand. "Take my bags, okay, and then go do something to keep busy. Ginny and I will get dinner together."

Luckily, her quick thinking saved them all from a pregnant woman's meltdown. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as the guys all filed out of the room, already planning a game of Quidditch in the backyard.

Ginny smiled gratefully at her friend. "Thank you for that. I feel awful, but I can't help going of my rocker sometimes." She placed a hand on her rather large belly and rubbed affectionately. "Hormones and all that."

With a laugh, Hermione responded, "Don't worry about it. Now, let's get supper ready!"

And with that, the two girls began making dinner. Unknowingly to them, and the rest of the household, the storm had taken a turn for the worse and was on its way to them.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Dinner was an interesting event. Harry and Ginny's three children, James, Albus, and Lily, sat at the far end of the table with Ron and Luna's son, Gabriel. It was the middle of summer so the kids were talking happily of Hogwarts and how much they were looking to returning. The younger children joined in the conversation enviously, anticipating when it would be their turn to get on the scarlet train.

At the other end of the table, Harry kept asking Ginny if she was alright. Ginny would smile with a strained look on her face and reply, "Harry, I'm just tired is all. The market was very busy. I'm lucky Hermione was here to help me cook dinner." She patted Hermione on the hand gratefully.

Harry didn't look convinced. "After dinner, Ron, Malfoy, and I will clean up. You should take a rest."

Luna chirped from her place down next to Gabriel, "I can watch the children with Hermione."

This did not please Hermione. As much as she loved the children, she was not that fond of Luna. The girl did steal her boyfriend right from underneath her fingers… Well, that's not completely true. Hermione and Ron were broken up for three months when he had stumbled into Luna at the Leaky Cauldron. They had started dating right away, married three months after that, and Gabriel came into the world nine months later. Hermione clearly had a reason to dislike Luna.

Hermione had originally planned on surprising Ron while he was in France for a Quidditch match and trying to get back together. She had booked a really fancy room and planned on telling him that even though he didn't want to get married, she still loved him and wished to spend the rest of her life with him even if that meant they never were married. She was fairly certain that, one day, after he stopped playing Quidditch, they would settle down and get married.

Unfortunately, just five days before this plan was to take place, Luna dumped a cup of tea into Ron's lap. Now, here she was, lost in thought and trying to come up with an excuse not to sit with Luna to watch the children. Hermione swallowed her bite of Shepherd's pie and grimaced. "Sure, Luna. We can watch the children. Maybe we can play some Exploding Snap."

Draco coughed in order to cover up his laugh. He knew just how much Hermione disliked Luna. Actually, he was probably the only one of Hermione's friends that knew about everything. He smiled as he remembered the day he moved into his flat...

_Snow was lightly falling as Draco carried boxes into his new flat building. The building was located just outside of Hogsmeade. It had been built sometime shortly after the war. The town had been greatly affected by the war, and after remodeling most of it, they began to build new places for residents and new arrivals to live._

_Draco had chosen this place because of its proximity to Hogwarts. He was hoping to someday soon quit his career as an Auror and become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Now, Draco loved being an Auror, but it was just always his dream to teach at Hogwarts. Even during all the craziness of war, dealing with Voldemort, and being a Death Eater, he still yearned for things to get better so he could come back to this place._

_Draco turned to look at the school on the hill and smiled. "Someday," he thought, "I will teach young wizards and witches how to protect themselves." He turned away and walked into the flat. Just as he began to unpack boxes in his kitchen, there was an explosion of sorts from above._

_With a furrowed brow, Draco grasped his wand and ascended the stairs. Carefully, he stepped up to the door of the flat above his. Pressing his ear gingerly to the door, he listened…_

_It sounded like someone was breaking everything inside. Draco knocked on the door, keeping his wand tucked behind his arm just in case._

_He took a step back as he heard loud footsteps, more like stampeding, coming towards the door. Suddenly, the door was flung open. "YES!" cried Hermione Granger, tears streaming down her face. "Can I help y- MALFOY!?"_

_Draco was in shock. Here in front of him was none other than the girl he used to torment looking like her world had just come crashing down around her. However, instead of laughing at her, he found himself asking if she was alright._

_Instead of scolding him, like he had expected, Hermione's shoulders slumped and she began to sob in earnest. "No, Malfoy, I'm not okay…" She walked into her flat._

_Draco followed, but he didn't know why. He took in the room. Torn pictures were scattered on the floor. Books, yes books, were thrown about, and there were scorch marks on the walls where picture frames had once hung. He did a small turn to take it all in as he asked, "What happened, Granger?"_

_Hermione plopped onto the couch, pulled a quilt around herself, grabbed a tissue, and snorted. "Luna Lovegood is about to become Luna Weasley!"_

_Draco, utterly confused by this, took a seat next to her. "I thought you were with the Weasel?"_

_Hermione dissolved into a hysterical fit of laughter and tears. "I was! That was until he decided he was never going to marry me!" She hiccuped and continued her explanation, "And now… Oh and now, here he is marrying Luna like I never existed!" Tears poured down her face like a waterfall._

_Draco sat there uncomfortably. he was never one for tears. He patted her shoulder tenderly, muttering things like, "It will be ok" and, "He's an arse."_

_Hermione told him everything that afternoon. She completely bared her soul. Draco knew everything about her and Ron's relationship, the breakup, her plan, and how Ron and Luna came to be. She eventually calmed down and passed out on the couch. Not knowing what else to do, Draco cleaned up her flat while she slept._

_Since that day, Draco had been sort of an ally for Hermione. He liked to consider them friends, even though they had hated each other for years. It's amazing what one sob fest can do to a man. All it took was seeing Hermione like that to make him realize that, she too, was human._

Coming back to reality, Draco began helping the guys clean up. He was mostly quiet while Ron complained about married life, changing diapers, and not being able to party as much as he used to. Harry rolled his eyes often for Draco to see, and tried to comfort his friend. Personally, Draco felt that Ron was rude and pig headed. His wife obviously adored him and Ron just didn't appreciate what he had.

He had no room to talk, though. He was constantly sleeping with different women; often two or three in one week. He frowned at the thought… Maybe it was time to change. He didn't want to end up like Ron, only marrying a girl because she ended up pregnant. Luna was a nice girl and everything, but if the two had been more careful, Ron most likely would still be floating around Britain with other woman. Or back with Hermione.  _Yes,_ thought Draco,  _Things had to change._

He could hear the children laughing and playing in the other room, as well as Hermione trying to be nice to Luna. He smiled, Hermione really was a decent person, not that he ever thought otherwise. She could be very rude to Luna if she wanted, but she chose to take the higher road.

Deciding to change the subject from Ron and his life to something more interesting, Draco asked Harry how his time off from being an Auror was going.

Harry smiled and sat down with a cup of tea. "It's been great. Ginny loves having me home, and the kids love it too." Draco sat down opposite him with some tea as well, and Ron sat down with some Firewhiskey.

"I'm sure they do," Draco said. "I know we miss you at the department though."

Harry continued, "I love work and miss you all as well, but I love my family more. And with the new one on the way, things couldn't get better." He smiled lovingly at the picture of his family on the wall. "How is work?"

Draco shrugged. "Nothing new. We're still looking for a few people who tried smuggling some dark objects into the country. We could really use your help." He sent a cheeky wink Harry's way.

"Falling apart without me? Another month or so, and I'll be back."

Ron chimed in, "I don't know what I would do if I had to be home all the time. Luckily, I get to travel for my job."

Harry sighed, clearly irritated by the interruption. "Ron, someday you are going to realize how lucky you have it with Luna."

Looking confused, Ron took a swig of his drink. "Maybe you should come with me to Germany next month. We've got a game, and I think you'd enjoy it." He turned and gave Draco a look, "Maybe, even you could tag along. If you wanted."

"Thanks, but I'll pass." Draco smirked, sipping at his tea. He's rather not have to hang out with Weasley more than absolutely necessary.

"Yeah, Ron, with the baby coming, I can't leave Ginny." Harry was frowning, upset his friend didn't seem to understand the importance of family.

Ron sunk down in his chair, clearly put out. He didn't say anything more on the trip; instead, he drank from his glass and stared across the room, out the window.

Draco would never understand Ronald Weasley. Lucky for him, he had taken the time to get to know the real Harry Potter during Auror training. They were more than acquaintances, but a little less than friends, or so Draco liked to think. Hell, who was he kidding? They had become friends somewhere along the way.

Smiling lightly at how his life had changed since the war, Draco stood to place his empty mug in the sink. Looking out the window he felt the breath catch in his throat.

Dark clouds were clearly on the horizon.


	3. Three: Let the Rain Fall Down

Sitting in the living room with Luna was really not as bad as Hermione previously thought it would be. Luna never once brought up Ron or anything that transpired between the pair. It was rather thoughtful of her or unintentional. Either way, Hermione appreciated it. The pair chatted about days at Hogwarts and even of the war a bit. The children laughed, played, and read to the delight of Hermione and Luna. They were a very well behaved bunch today. Hermione looked towards to stairs, hoping that Ginny really was alright like she said. She truly didn't want to have to get all the way to St. Mungo's in this storm…if they even could.

Hermione listened as Luna told her about a time she and her father had gone camping. She was also trying to pay attention to the talk in the kitchen. She could hear snippets, mostly about Quidditch, work, and drinking. It was when things got eerily quiet and then the hushed voices started that she stopped listening to Luna altogether.

Tilting her head to try and hear clearer, Hermione placed a hand on Luna's wrist to have her stop talking. Speaking in a very calm voice so as to not worry the children, Hermione stated, "Something is up… Let's go into the kitchen for a moment."

Luna, completely understanding, nodded and spoke to the kids, "Keep the noise down and behave. Hermione and I will be right back." The kids muttered their understanding and the two ladies walked to the kitchen.

Standing in the doorway, Hermione immediately knew what was wrong. It was evident by the looks on the men's faces. Hermione hurried to the doorway, Luna right behind her. Hermione put a hand to her mouth upon seeing the horrendously billowing, black clouds moving at the horizon.

She turned to Draco. "When?"

He shook his head. "I got up to put my mug in the sink and there they were." He looked worried.

"We don't have much time before it hits," Harry whispered running his hand through his unruly hair. "We'd never be able to make it to Molly and Arthur's. The Floo network will be messed up by now." Panic was dripping from his voice as he stared at the ceiling. Ginny was sleeping in the room above.

Ron stood up and took his wife's hand in his. "We need to keep the children calm. I don't fear a tornado or anything of the sort, but using any strong magic is strictly out of the question. We must protect the house." Luna nodded in agreement.

"Are there even any spells that we can place on the house with the storm so quickly approaching?" Draco asked Hermione.

"Let me think a moment…" Hermione paced the kitchen very quickly. "A few. Let's hurry." She began to make arrangements. "Ron, you keep the children calm and Luna you go wake Ginny… _gently_." She turned to the others and said, "Malfoy, Harry, we need to hurry. Let's go!" The three of them hurried outside.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The next thirty minutes were a huge blur to Ron. He sat in the living room with all of the kids and tried to read them a book or two. The kids simply wanted to know why Hermione, Malfoy, and Harry were outside. Not really knowing what to tell them he said it was a game and that they needed to stay inside. This only made the children excited.

"What is taking Luna so long…" he pondered staring at the steps, but knowing if he went upstairs the children would hurry outside.

The kids were trying their very best to peek out windows and sneak to the kitchen. Ron sure had his hands full. He hoped that Luna wouldn't want to have another baby. One was enough, let alone four like his sister was soon to have!

Ron sighed with relief when he heard his two friends and Malfoy enter the kitchen from the outside. The trio came into the living room and Harry asked the children to go up to the game room (Ron's old room) to play. The children marched up the stairs, already forgetting the 'game' that Ron had told them about.

"We placed as many wards as possible." Hermione sighed plopping down in a chair. "I just hope that they hold."

Draco took a seat on the floor next to her almost in relief. "Yeah, hopefully with our wards the Magic Storm doesn't wreak havoc on all of us."

Harry was pacing by the stairs. "I worry more about Ginny and the children. They will be affected most by such a storm." His brow furrowed and asked, "Has Luna brought Ginny down yet?"

Ron gave Harry a concerned look. "No. It's just been the kids and me down here. They were really antsy. Nearly drove me insane."

Draco laughed and said, "Ron, you need to spend more time with Gabriel. He's a sweet little boy who clearly looks up to his father. It'd do you some good to have some one-on-one time with him."

Ron blinked a few times and Hermione and Harry looked at Draco in shock. Finally, Ron was able to respond, "How dare you tell me how to raise my son! You don't even have children!"

Draco got to his feet in case he needed to protect himself. "No, I don't; but I see the way Gabriel looks at you. It's the same way I used to look at my father and we all know how  _that_ turned out."

Before Ron could make a move, Hermione stepped in front of Draco. "Alright, at a time like this we do not need this conversation, okay?" She looked back and forth between the two grown wizards.

Hermione probably knew better than her two best friends  _exactly_  what Draco was trying to get at…

_Hermione had been sitting on the bench outside the apartment when a shadow fell upon her. Looking up from her book she smiled. "Hey, Malfoy. You're in my light," she joked._

_Draco sat down with a laugh. "Sorry, didn't mean to disturb you. I just got back from work, saw you sitting out here, and thought I'd say hello before going for a run."_

_Hermione noticed he was dressed in loose, black shorts and a simple white t-shirt. His hair was tousled on his head like he had run his hands through it numerous times. She squinted from the sunlight and felt the sweat dripping down her spine. "Isn't it a bit warm for a jog?" she asked marking her place in the book._

_He shrugged. "Maybe a little, but I don't mind the heat." He looked around then asked, "Hey, why don't you come with me?"_

_Hermione laughed in a short burst. "Seriously?" she asked. "Me? Run in this heat with you?"_

" _Yeah, sure, why not?" He smirked. "Afraid I'm faster than you?"_

_Oh, that did it. Hermione stood up. "You wait here. I'm going to put on some different clothes." Within moments, the pair was jogging around Hogsmeade._

_When they finally stopped back in front of their apartment building, the pair was sweaty and exhausted. "I haven't gone for a run in months," admitted Hermione. She plopped back onto the bench and began fixing her hair as Draco made himself comfortable in the grass._

" _I could tell," Draco teased. There was something about the way they were so relaxed that made him wonder how life had brought him to this point._

_After she was satisfied with her hair, Hermione asked, "So what got you into running?"_

" _Simple. My father."_

_Confused, she inquired even further. "How?" They never discussed Lucius or the horrible things he had done._

" _Well," he began, "When I was little, I truly adored my father. He was the epitome of cool to me. He owned a business. He ruled the house. I loved him more than anything." Draco sat up to lean against the bench. "Things changed very quickly once I began Hogwarts."_

_With a sigh, he continued, "Lucius became very hostile towards my mother and me. He blamed it on work and also the fact that I wasn't performing to the best of my ability in school." Draco smiled wryly. "He thought I was better than you."_

_Hermione laughed and playfully swatted Draco's shoulder. "You and I were nearly the same in Potions. You usually gave me a run for my galleons!"_

_Draco shrugged. "You were always a very smart girl. You deserved your rank as head of our class."_

_Blushing, Hermione thanked him profusely before he began talking again. "My father had always been very loving and kind towards my mother and me, but especially once the Dark Lord returned to power, he changed."_

_Hermione was confused. "So what does this have to do with you taking up running?"_

" _I'm getting there," he said with a grin. "When things would get difficult…when my father would go too far with us; I would run. I'd run as fast as I could, for as long as I could." Draco brushed a hand through his hair. "I guess it was just a way to get away from everything; a way for me to let out my emotions without actually talking about them." Draco seemed torn by his past. "I really looked up to him. For so many years I tried to act like him so that maybe one day he would turn to me and tell me how proud he was that I was his son." He put his face in his hands with a sigh. "When I failed at killing Dumbledore, I knew it was over for me. I knew that he would never accept me as his son. He just didn't understand how much I loved him. After that, I gave up. I ran."_

_Hermione laid a hand on his shoulder and murmured, "I can't imagine how hard that must have been living with Lucius during the war. He must have been so horrible. You've gone through so much that I never even could have realized." She swallowed hard. "I'm glad you had a way to cope. To be completely honest, I'm just glad you survived it all."_

_Draco looked her in the eye and said, "I also let out my frustrations on you…and for that I'm sorry. I know how things have changed over the years, and that we've all grown up, but I just want you to know that I am sorry, truly sorry, for all the evil, hurtful things I have done and said to you."_

_Hermione, smiling softly at his apology, whispered, "I accept Malfoy, and I'm glad that we can talk like this now." She stood up then and offered him her hand. "If you ever need a friend to run with when you want to burn off some steam, let me know!"_

_Draco accepted the hand and she helped him to his feet. As Hermione left Draco outside and began the ascent to her apartment, she couldn't help but think that even though he had been horrible to her for so many years, she couldn't imagine her life without him as a friend now._

Hermione knew that Draco meant well. She just thought now was a bad time for him to talk to Ron about such things. Ron was very temperamental, and he would be especially so at this time.

Luckily, both wizards took deep breaths and calmed down. They both knew that tonight was not the best time for this sort of discussion. The group sat down at the kitchen table to think about what to do next. For twenty minutes the group tried to think of different ways to help the children and Ginny, as well as themselves, keep their magic under control during the storm that was about to encompass them.

Harry got up and walked to the door. He stood there very still watching the clouds move in and the sky begin to darken above through the small window. Draco watched him in awe. It always amazed him that Harry had the capacity to keep his emotions intact. Draco himself was known for lashing out when the going got tough. Ron too seemed to have this problem. Draco smirked at the thought of telling Weasley that they may have something in common. He could just see the look on his face now…

Hermione let out a large sigh. This is definitely not how she imagined spending her time off. Who would want to sit and worry their ass off over a storm when they could be sitting in their oversized bathtub reading a new book? Hermione just wished that the storm would hurry up and be over with so that she could return to her home and relax…and she also hoped that she and her friends would be alright.

Ron was thinking about the things Malfoy had mentioned. Was he really like  _Lucius Malfoy_? He hoped the answer was no, but he did realize he spent more time travelling than with Gabriel. Gabriel would be two years old soon. He was very advanced for his age. Already starting to talk and even potty trained. Luna was amazingly good with children he had discovered. The child simply flourished with her care. But what about him? He was rarely ever alone with Gabriel. Ron knew this had to change.

Suddenly, there was a noise in the living room. Everyone but Harry turned to stare. It was Luna, she looked utterly frightened. Hermione stood and asked, "What is it, Luna?"

"Yes, what's happened?" Ron gushed as he hurried to her side.

Luna shook her head in disbelief and replied, "It's Ginny. She's gone into labor."

Harry turned around so swiftly he knocked a mug off the counter by the door, causing it to shatter on the floor. "What!?" he shouted and then lunged through the kitchen, the living room, and up the stairs.

Outside, the rain had begun to fall, making a 'patter patter' noise upon the roof.


	4. Four: Whirlwind

Harry tore through the house to get to his wife. His heart was beating frantically as he practically flew up the stairs to their bedroom. When he reached the doorway his eyes met hers as she lay in the bed, the soft pink quilt was pulled up to her waist as she sat against the headboard. Her face was slightly flushed and she looked beyond nervous.

Ginny tried to give her husband a smile, but it came across scared. "Harry…" she mumbled.

He crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. Taking her hand in his he said, "Are you ok? When did it start?"

Ginny picked at the quilt before answering, "Well, I think my water must have broken while I was napping. When Luna got up here I was trying to clean it and myself up. She helped me put new sheets on the bed and then got me settled. It was only then that the contractions started." She sighed heavily. "The contractions are about twenty minutes apart. This baby wants to come tonight!"

Harry could do nothing but stare in shock at his wife. He got up and went over to the window which happened to be shut and the curtains closed. Slowly, he opened the curtains, revealing what awaited outside. He heard Ginny gasp at what she saw. Harry himself was unhappy. Rain was pouring down from the sky in torrents.

"I can't go to St. Mungo's." It wasn't a question; simply a statement. They both knew that their new baby would be born here, in this bed. "Can you get Hermione? She might know something to help." Ginny trailed off as Harry closed the curtains once more.

He walked over and placed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Sure. I'll go get her. I won't be long…" Harry began his way downstairs. If he had been worried about the storm before, it was nothing to what he was feeling right now.

Hermione, Draco, Ron, and Luna were sitting in silence around the kitchen table. Luna had told them what had transpired. They were all in shock. Ron had his hand on Luna's leg. He looked like he rarely showed her affection of the sort. Luna seemed content with his act of kindness and her body was slightly angled towards his.

Hermione didn't quite know what to make of Ron's affection. It had been ages since he had done anything like this. After Gabriel had been born, Ron had become some sort of recluse to the family. She knew he was unhappy being nailed down to one woman but as far as she knew, he did seem to be faithful.

Draco was trying to remember the last time that he had dated one woman for more than a week…he couldn't. This made him quite angry, but he masked it well. He vowed to find a nice girl to date, and maybe even settle down with. He was getting older… Having children was something he hoped to do.

Harry slumped through the doorway just then, looking forlorn and tired. "Hermione, can you come and help Ginny? She asked for you."

Hermione swallowed hard but replied, "Sure." She stood and went to the sink to wash her hands. "Malfoy, could you go into my small bag and grab out my medical gloves? I have a box of them in there." By the time Hermione had sterilized her hands, Draco was back with the gloves. Hermione took a pair out and put them on. She then sanitized her wand and headed up to Ginny's room.

Hermione took in the site of her best girlfriend and smiled. Pregnancy really did suit her. She looked lovely. Unfortunately, this didn't last long. Ginny suddenly began having a contraction. Hermione flew to her side while asking, "How far are they apart?" Using the simplest spells possible to try and ease Ginny's pain, she let the Healer in her take over. She couldn't use strong spells because of the storm, but she was determined to make this as pain free as possible for Ginny.

Ginny tried to breathe through the pain. "They were twenty minutes…but this one is fifteen…they're getting closer!" Her breathing was labored, but the small spells were helping slightly.

Hermione nodded trying to take in the situation. She had never helped someone give birth before. She was used to healing things like severed arms or spliced body parts. She dealt mainly with emergency spell healing. This would be a first. She would never let her friend do this alone.

"Luna told me you two cleaned the area up, which is great. I am trying my best to place some painless spells on you so you don't have a lot of pain, but we can't go crazy. The storm may alter them or just make them disappear altogether." Hermione checked Ginny's dilation as Ginny nodded in approval. Luckily, the contraction had stopped. Hermione pursed her lips. Ginny would be ready to push in no time. "Your contractions are probably going to start coming faster now. Try to breathe through the pain." She turned to Harry who was in the doorway and said, "You come over here and hold her hand. Make sure she's as comfortable as possible. We're going to get through this." Harry did as he was told. Hermione thought to herself, "Dear Merlin, here we go."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Luna had long since gone upstairs to be with the children and had left Ron and Draco alone in the kitchen. Ron had found a new bottle of firewhiskey and poured both he and Malfoy a glass. Draco took it with a nod of thanks, and then the two sat in silence sipping their drinks, watching the rain pour down outside.

Draco gave Hermione a lot of credit. She was brilliant. He shook his head at the thought that she was never bad at anything…well maybe flying, but other than that; nothing.

Draco rubbed a hand over his face. That woman had somehow managed to befriend him when he himself didn't want to be his friend. He had moved to Hogsmeade to be closer to Hogwarts, but he also moved there to get away from his ex-wife, Astoria. How he hated that woman. She had been quite a disaster. Draco had no idea what a horrible person she really was. They were married for such a short time. Draco wanted to have children, but no, Astoria didn't want to lose her figure. Eventually, they began to fight constantly. Draco hated the memories Astoria created.

_One crisp winter day Draco had come home from work early. He thought maybe he would take Astoria to the Malfoy cabin in the mountains for rest of the day and then have a fancy dinner in the evening…possibly even spend the night there. Maybe they could work things out. He walked into their bedroom and heard the shower running. He smiled, it was perfect. He would surprise her and take her out. He didn't notice the pair of men's slacks thrown haphazardly onto the floor by the bed._

_Draco sauntered into the bathroom ready to try and fix their marriage… That's when he heard it; a man's voice. Through the haze of mist from the shower he now saw that there were not one, but two bodies inside. In a fury unlike any other, he roared and punched the mirror. It shattered into pieces, cutting his knuckles badly. Astoria screamed and the man fell. Draco was already storming out of the bedroom and down the stairs._

_He could hear Astoria screaming after him. He only stopped when he reached the frozen pond in the backyard. Astoria caught up to him. She was soaking wet, wearing only the plush green robe he had bought her for Christmas._

" _Draco," she sobbed, "I'm sorry…so sorry…I love you…please it was a mistake…" She fell to the ground. The dirt she was kneeling in becoming mud as the water from her body mixed with it._

_Shaking his head with a snort, Draco looked down at his wife. "A mistake, Astoria? The real mistake was when I married you!"_

" _Nooo!" She attempted to get up, now covered in mud all while begging, "I'm sorry. I love you…"_

" _Do not touch me, Astoria; I do not want your filthy, cheating hands on me. In fact, I want you out of my house. You do not belong here at Malfoy Manor any longer." He turned his back on her and added, "You are no longer a Malfoy. I release you." Tears stung his eyes, but he would not let them fall._

_Astoria, knowing he was never going to forgive her, sobbed into her hands. "I'm sorry, Draco. I messed up. I know I did. I should have talked to you a long time ago… I'll leave today." She made her way back into the Manor to pack her things._

_That evening Draco reentered the house. He had sat on the bench by the pond all day in the freezing cold. Sure enough, all of Astoria's belongings were gone. He couldn't even smell her perfume wafting in the air. His mother called him to her wing of the house demanding to know what happened. He told her everything, and it was only when his mother embraced him that he let the tears fall._

_The next morning, he told his mother that he had to leave; go someplace new. Narcissa understood. She promised that she would make sure that the manor was kept in pristine condition for when he could return. She knew her son had been through so much; the war, the loss of his father, and now the betrayal of the one person, besides herself, that had ever showed him love._

_Draco loved his mother dearly for understanding his needs. He promised that they would see each other soon, and often. He began making floo calls looking for a new place to live._

_The next day, as snow was beginning to fall, he found himself moving into his flat in Hogsmeade._

Draco still didn't understand how listening to Hermione spill her soul to him about Ron made him want to share his heart wrenching story with her, but it did. After he had helped Hermione get back on her feet after the Ron and Luna situation, he had cooked dinner for her. After dinner as they sat looking through old school books on his living room floor while sipping red wine, he had spilled his entire story to her.

She had listened intently, her eyes tearing up from time to time. After that night, they never spoke of Astoria again. They couldn't help speaking of Ron. He was always around. Draco, to this day, was glad that he had moved into Hermione's flat building. Putting the past behind them had been the best thing. He couldn't imagine life without her now.

Draco furrowed his brow at that… Before the war, he hated Hermione. During the war, he had loathed her existence. After the war, he threw all that pureblood hierarchy nonsense out the door, and had accepted her. Now… Now, he couldn't live without her. What the hell did that mean?

Draco's thoughts were interrupted by Ron then. "Malfoy?" he asked tentatively.

"What is it, Weasley?" Draco asked his interest piqued.

Ron seemed uncertain as he asked, "Well, did you really mean what you said earlier, you know, about me being like Lucius?"

Draco closed his eyes and replied, "Unfortunately, yes, Weasley. I did."

Ron sighed and shook his head. "I don't like that at all. I want to change."

"I don't think it's that easy. It will probably take some time…"

Ron cut him off, "I'm willing to change my life. I'm willing to quit Quidditch if I have to! I just want Gabriel and Luna to be happy. I don't know what Hermione has told you, but I really did fall in love with Luna. I didn't marry her because she was pregnant. We didn't even know she was until after the wedding. Apparently, she got pregnant the night before the Rehearsal Dinner." Ron refilled their empty glasses. "I wanted to marry her. I was shocked when we found out about Gabriel, but I wasn't upset. Sure, I miss partying and having fun, but I love my family."

Draco took a sip from his glass. "I'm glad you feel that way about this, Weasley. Your wife and child deserve that. My father was a cruel man. He only thought about himself. I hope that you never become that. I hope that you seriously make the changes you say you will." He smiled and added, "And I don't think that you need to quit Quidditch, just maybe spend less time hanging with your teammates and more time with your family."

Ron looked uncertain, "It's not that I worry about not spending time with the team, it's just that the game is a lot of stress, and I don't want that on my family. It may be time for me to retire."

"Weasley, let me give you a proposition. At this time there are probably no jobs out there, so your best bet is to keep playing. You have the skills…but if things get difficult, how about this; I'll give you a job with my company. That's your back up plan though. Plan B. Plan A is keep doing what you love…just adjust it."

Ron broke into a bright grin. "Thanks Malfoy. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me." He reached out his hand, surprised at himself, but his smile got even wider when his archenemy took his hand and shook back. These two would become friends somehow as well.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hermione was cursing not pulling her hair back before this started. "Push, Ginny, push one more time. I think this is it!" she was between her best friend's legs, ready to help the newborn baby into the world.

Harry was murmuring comforting words to his wife as she screamed and panted. Ginny was cursing the storm. If it wasn't for the storm this birth would be completely pain free. Now she knew what Muggles went through!

"Come on Ginny; take a really deep breath and push. Push like crazy!" Hermione was red in the face.

Ginny sucked in as much air as possible and pushed with all her might; her face turning bright red.

A cry. A delicate little baby cry. They all broke into smiles, even Ginny who was utterly exhausted. Hermione quickly severed the cord and with a flick of her wand had the bed somewhat clean. She handed Ginny the baby and gently said, "Here you go Gin, your perfect brand new baby girl."

Ginny took the baby in awe. Somehow she had the blackest hair. She looked just like her daddy. Harry gently stroked the baby's cheek. "Wow, she looks like me…"

Ginny smiled up at her husband. "I can't believe her hair… All the other children have red!"

Harry laughed. "What should we name her?"

"Jean."

Hermione looked shocked. "What?"

Harry smiled at his long time friend. "Of course, Ginny, it's perfect. We'll name her after the person who helped bring her into this world."

Hermione, tears in her eyes, hugged her friends, "You two are the best. I'd be honored to have her named after me."

Ginny smiled back tearfully. "If it wasn't for you, who know what could have happened. Thank you."

Hermione didn't know what to say. So far, today had been one giant whirlwind of events.


	5. Five: Lightning Strikes

It was nearly midnight at the Burrow. The house was now calm and quiet despite the pouring rain and howling wind that bombarded them from the outside. The storm was clearly still raging. Luna and Ron had gotten the children settled and put to bed in Ginny's old room. Now, the couple was quietly talking as they snuggled together in Percy's old room. Soon they would be fast asleep.

Draco stood on the doorway of Harry and Ginny's room watching Harry as he lightly brushed his fingers over Jean's plump cheek as she slept. He cleared his throat gently. "She's beautiful, Potter."

Harry's face broke into a grin and he said, "Thank you. Come have a closer look." He motioned for Draco to come over.

Draco padded over as quiet as possible. He didn't want to wake Ginny, who was sleeping soundly in the bed. He stood by the bassinet and peered inside. Jean was even lovelier up close. Her eyelids were shut and her lips were slightly puckered. Draco was envious. He desperately wanted a child of his own.

"Is everyone else in bed?" Harry asked.

Draco nodded. "Yeah. I'm about to head there myself." He tore his eyes away from the baby and gave Harry a smile. "Have a good night, Potter."

Harry placed his hand on Draco's shoulder. "Draco, I think by now we can call each other by our first names. We've been through enough over the years."

Smirking, Draco said, "You're right about that…Harry." It seemed weird, but oddly right to call him that.

The two chuckled lightly and then Draco left the room easing the door shut behind him. He stopped in the hall to listen. Everything seemed still. Walking up a flight of stairs he reached the room that he and Hermione were sharing. It had been Fred and George's so there were two beds in it. Hermione was bound to be asleep by now. Opening the door, Draco was surprised to find the room empty. Hermione's bedside lamp was on, but she was not in the room at all. Turning back around, Draco crept slowly down the stairs to the first floor.

All was dark except for a large candle burning on the coffee table. He peered through the darkness; Hermione was sprawled across the couch, the bottle of firewhiskey in her hand. Her eyes were closed and she was tapping her foot on the armrest to some unheard beat.

She smiled and opened her eyes. "Hey there, Malfoy. What are you doing awake?"

Draco moved carefully through the dark room and took a seat across from her. "I was just saying goodnight to Harry and when I got to our room, you weren't there. I figured I'd come and find you."

Hermione nodded and took a swig from the bottle, closing her eyes once more.

"So are you coming to bed or do you plan on getting sloshed?" he asked wryly.

Hermione laughed, really laughed. "I wasn't intending on becoming sloshed." She giggled, "I came down to turn off the lights, but I saw this bottle sitting on the table in the kitchen." She held it out to him. "So, I poured myself a glass, drank it, and poured another. I drank that too. By that point, I had turned out the lights and all that was left was this candle here." She pointed to it with her tapping foot.

Draco amused, yet slightly perplexed, ran a hand through his hair. "Why didn't you just blow it out?"

"Well, I was about to, but I had this crazy realization…the candle represented my life!"

"It represents your life?"

"Yes! It was just flickering…like my life…"

"Okay, I'm officially lost, Granger."

"My life, Malfoy, is just like this flame. I'm bright, but I'm not going anywhere…and soon I'll be gone."

Draco took the bottle from her. "Granger, you are insane." He took a large drink from the bottle and a deep breath to cool the burn from it. "And, you're drunk."

She giggled, "I probably am. I typically only drink one or two glasses of wine here and there. That bottle is almost gone."

At that realization, Draco's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline with shock. "It's nearly gone! Weasley and I just opened this a few hours ago." Sure enough as he held it up to his eyes, it was just about empty.

She shrugged. "I've been thinking a lot about my life. It's not what I wanted it to be."

He handed the bottle back, muttering, "I know the feeling."

"I wanted to be married and have a couple children by now. You know, like Ginny and Harry. They're so happy and in love. I'm beyond honored they named Jean after me, though. She's simply adorable."

"She is…" He wanted to say more but he allowed her to go on.

"I want that…that happiness. I want someone to love me like Harry loves Ginny." Tears were in her eyes threatening to fall at any minute. She took another drink and handed the bottle back to Draco once more.

He took a sip. "Granger, you're a smart, successful, and beautiful woman. Someone is out there waiting for you. You have to try and put yourself out there."

"I tried that…it was a disaster."

He cringed. It sure had been a disaster. After he had moved into the same apartment complex, he had helped her by setting her up on a few dates. He also took her to a few bars to get her out there. All of the dates had ended horribly. The men were rude, only wanted sex, or were not interested in settling down.

With a sigh, he said, "I know, but maybe if you just get out more you'll just happen to stumble into that one special guy."

"With my schedule? I work ridiculous hours and sleep whenever I have a chance. I'm off for a few weeks, but that's not enough time to find Mr. Right." The tears were now freely falling.

Draco took the bottle, saw it was empty, and set it on the table by the candle. He reached for her hand. "Granger, come on now. Don't cry. It will turn out alright."

Standing, he helped her up, never letting go of her hand, "Let me help you to bed."

She wiped her face on her sleeve and nodded. "Okay, Malfoy."

She looked so vulnerable in the candlelight. Her brown eyes were shining with tears and her usually sleek brown curls resembled how he remembered them back in school. He truly felt sorry for her. "We're friends. If I can call Harry by his first name, then surely we can call each other Hermione and Draco."

She blinked and the tears began falling once more. This shocked him. "What's wrong?"

She sobbed, "It's just that I never thought of calling you Draco. All this time we've been such good friends. I feel like a horrible friend and person…"

Draco chuckled at her silliness. "Don't feel bad. Shhhh… It's alright. You're crying over nothing now."

She gave him a small smile as her tears eased. "Sorry. I'm sorry."

He brushed her hair out of her face and smiled back, "No worries. Let's get you to bed." He blew out the candle and still holding Hermione's hand, began to lead her towards the staircase. Just as they were in the middle of the room a flash of lightning lit it up. Hermione jumped and began to fall. Draco managed to grab both her arms just before she hit the floor. Good thing he had been a Seeker.

They were so close. Face to face, noses nearly touching. Another flash of lightning re-lit the room and their eyes met. Never taking her eyes off his, Hermione crushed her lips against Draco's. He began to respond to the kiss, but pulled away after a moment. "No… I can't do this when you're drunk. I won't take advantage of you." He helped steady her on her feet.

"Draco…" She placed a hand on his chest. It was firm. She spread her fingers out. "Please… I may be slightly drunk, but I will not regret this. I'm not stupid…even when I'm drunk." Lightning lit her face and he saw that she was sincere. Despite her drunken state, her mind was as clear as it always was.

That was all he needed. He pushed her against the wall as their lips met again in a heated fury. Hands roamed over each other's bodies, exploring and learning what the other one liked. Draco grabbed her bottom and pulled her tight against his hips. Hermione moaned and he took this opportunity to plunge his tongue into her mouth.

Hermione clung to him; her hands roaming all over. She didn't know where she wanted to hold on. She needed this more than she was willing to admit to herself. Mostly, she found that she needed Draco, though she did not have a clue why. As his hands began to make their way under her shirt, she pulled her mouth from his. "Draco…" she breathed against his lips. "Not down here…our room."

With a nod of understanding, he scooped her into his arms. He quickly reclaimed her lips as he began the climb upstairs. Closing the door behind them, he placed her gently on her feet. He stepped back to take in the sight of her. Hermione sauntered up to Draco and pulled his shirt out of his pants and up over his head, discarding it on the floor. He then helped her out of her jumper; it joined his on the floor. Hermione quickly removed her jeans. She stood in front of her friend, her former enemy, in only her pale, pink undergarments.

Without taking his eyes off of this beautiful girl in front of him, Draco removed his pants. Hermione placed her hands on his chest. It was warm and hard under her hands. "What, no boxers?" she asked. Draco was nude in front of her. He smirked and replied, "Are you really  _that_  surprised that I am not wearing any undergarments?"

"No." She couldn't help the smile that spread across her lips, both of them realizing she'd put some thought into what he wore underneath his clothing.

His lips once again found hers and he walked them backward toward the bed. They tumbled onto it in a flurry of hands and legs. Draco expertly removed Hermione's bra and began exploring with his mouth. He kissed down her neck and onto her chest. He then captured one breast in his mouth and used his hand to massage the other. Hermione arched her back in ecstasy at the feelings he was evoking within her. He switched his ministrations to the other breast and again all Hermione could do was writhe underneath him. She grabbed his shoulders and guided him so she could be on top. She straddled his waist easily.

Underneath her, Draco looked beautiful. His ice-colored eyes were clouded with desire, and his blond hair was strewn across his forehead. She ran her hands down his muscular chest. Draco closed his eyes lazily; a grin appearing on his lips.

Leaning down, she kissed him leisurely. As she did so she wriggled out of her knickers. She could feel his hardness, and that turned her on even more. Once her knickers were gone, she leaned back. Draco placed his hands on her hips, his eyes locking onto hers. He helped ease her down onto him. She threw back her head at the immense feeling of pleasure; Draco groaned. He felt amazing.

Draco was in more ecstasy than he could have imagined. Actually, he had never imagined sex with Hermione Granger would feel this great… To be honest, he had never imagined it at all. He loved the feeling of her riding him, her body wild and free as he'd never seen her before. When he knew he was getting close, he wrapped his legs around her and flipped them over.

Hermione giggled and allowed Draco to take control. Soon, they were lost in each other; kissing, touching, moaning, groping. They moved together as one. It was as if they had been doing this for years; as if they were made for one another. Eventually, Draco was unable to hold on any longer. As he lost control, Hermione joined him in bliss as well.

When they were able to breathe again, Draco rolled to the side and pulled Hermione close in his arms. The pair cuddled together, covered in sweat and panting lightly. Lighting occasionally filled the room with light. Soon they had fallen asleep in each other's arms.


	6. Six: Thunderstruck

Draco blearily opened his eyes. Hermione was cuddled into his side and still fast asleep. He chanced a glance at the clock on the nightstand. It was just after three am. They had only been asleep for maybe two hours. Draco's back hurt from the position he was in, but he was in no way going to move and wake Hermione. He looked down at her. She was sleeping so peacefully. He sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair. What had they just done? He knew she said that she wouldn't regret having sex with him, but you could never be sure. Yes, they were friends, but were they ever going to be more than that?

Did Draco want to be more than friends with Hermione? He had accidentally become her friend, and loved every minute of it, but was he ready for more? He laid his head back on the pillow. He had said to himself earlier that he was ready to stop messing around and find a girl that was right for him. He wanted to settle down and have a family. He wanted all of that. Was Hermione the right person? He'd never considered it before.

Back in school he would have punched someone if they had ever told him that he would have sex with Hermione Granger. He would have hexed them. Now, here he was completely naked in bed with the witch. He frowned, remembering all the alcohol she'd consumed. Maybe she would forget. Maybe he could crawl into his own bed and just tell her that she had stripped on her own…

Draco was immediately angry at himself for even thinking such a thing. She was his friend…his best friend, really. If he did that, he'd never be able to look at her again, and that was simply out of the question. If he left now, she'd become just another girl he slept with. That was definitely  _not_  what he wanted. He wanted commitment. He wanted trust. He wanted love.

 _Love?_  That was something he had never thought he'd think about again. Astoria had sure fucked that up for him. She basically tore his heart out, stabbed it until it bled to death, and thrown it at his feet. Okay, perhaps that was a little dramatic, but it sure had felt that way. It's a good thing he had no idea who the guy she had cheated on him with was or he'd be in Azkaban right now.

It was all thanks to Hermione that he wasn't a real jackass. She had helped him stay human when all he wanted to do was hunt down the bastard and rip him to shreds. He knew Astoria had not stayed with the man. The man had left her, apparently, for some younger broad.  _What comes around goes around…_ She deserved every minute of heartache she felt.

Hermione explained to him that Astoria was clearly not worth his time and that he should do his best to move on. It was the exact same thing that he had told her about Ron, only she had used much nicer vocabulary. That was back when Draco still hated Ron with a passion. He was over that now. Draco had done his best to live by Hermione's words, and it helped. Sure, he still slept around and dated girls for mere days at a time, but it was better than wallowing in his self pity, which a Malfoy should never do in the first place.

He looked down at Hermione again and frowned. They needed to talk. They needed to figure out what to do next. Were they going to be friends, friends with benefits, or something more? He wouldn't wake her now, but they did have to talk later when they both weren't exhausted. Draco closed his eyes and decided that everything would turn out fine, and that's what he fell back asleep to.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hermione felt like hell, and it felt like she barely slept at all. As she awakened, she tried to move her body, it was stiff. Suddenly her eyes flew open to the realization of two things. One, it was still storming and two, she was naked, in bed, with Draco Malfoy! What the heck did she do? She turned her head awkwardly to stare at his face. He was still asleep, which was a relief. This bided her some time to think about what she'd done.

She tried desperately to come to the conclusion that what she did was a crazy mistake, but the odd thing was; she couldn't. Sleeping with Draco had been the easiest and most logical thing to do last night, even after consuming nearly half a bottle of Ogden's finest. She remembered everything; their talk, her crying, the kiss, and every mind blowing minute that transpired afterward.

Now the thing she had to figure out was: What the heck did this mean? Did this mean she liked Draco? Did this mean they were going to be in a relationship? Or, did it just mean they were two consenting adults who wanted to have sex together? Hermione rubbed her eyes. This was definitely not what she expected when she had invited Draco to come to the Burrow for the storm.

When had their friendship turned into something more? This question kept banging around her head like a bad migraine. What had made her kiss him? She could blame the alcohol, but that wouldn't be completely true would it? How many times had she found herself watching him as he ran through Hogsmeade? She couldn't even count it! She was always finding reasons to invite him to her flat to discuss books over tea or simply just to chat. How had she not realized that he had turned from enemy, to helpful friend, to a crush? And what was he now? A lover?

Hermione got out of the bed as gently as possible so she wouldn't wake Draco. She still couldn't grasp her mind around all of this. Grabbing her duffle, she quietly crept out of the room and to the loo. She needed a hot shower to calm her mind and help her figure out what to do next. The house was as quiet as could be. She couldn't even hear anything coming from Ginny and Harry's room. She supposed Jean was sleeping soundly, which was good.

She turned the shower on and got inside. It was as perfectly warm and instantly began soothing her muscles. She was more tired than she thought, but being used to working such crazy hours, she would be able to handle the day with only a few hours of sleep. All she needed was this shower and something good for breakfast. As soon as she had finished washing, she toweled off and wrapped her hair in the towel. She brushed her teeth and then began to get dressed.

She slipped on some black sweatpants and a green shirt. She applied a tiny bit of makeup and then shook her hair from the towel to brush it out. Her stomach growled. She packed her duffle back up and went back to the room. Opening the door slowly, she saw that Draco was still fast asleep. Seeing no need to wake him yet, she set the bag on the floor and headed downstairs to make breakfast for everyone. She needed to talk to Draco about what exactly they planned on doing, but it could wait until she and everyone else had eaten.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

An hour later, Hermione had the table covered in breakfast items. There were piles of toast, plates of pancakes, eggs, and bacon and sausage. The house smelt wonderful. She knew that her friends were awake because she could hear them moving about in the upper levels of the house. She wondered if Draco was awake too. They would have to find time to talk later. She was just finishing squeezing some fresh orange juice using her magic, when she heard movement in the doorway. She turned around hoping it was Draco, only to see Ron.

Ron was still in his pajamas and his hair was sticking up on one side. He yawned and gave Hermione a smile. "Morning, 'Mione. It sure smells good down here." He plopped down at the table and began fixing himself a cup of coffee. Hermione gave him a pinched smile and placed the jug of juice on the table.

"Thank you. I was up early and thought I'd make breakfast for everyone. Where is Luna?" Hermione had not been alone with Ron since they had broken up. She actively avoided it actually. She was afraid of losing her cool or just breaking down. But now that she was actually in the situation, she felt at ease. She couldn't help thinking that maybe it had something to do with the fact that she and Draco had slept together just a few hours ago.

Ron drank some of his sugar-filled coffee. "She's helping the kids get dressed. She's pretty good with children…" Ron looked down at his coffee and then back up at Hermione. "Listen, 'Mione, can I talk to you about what happened between us?" He looked uncomfortable, but sincere, so Hermione nodded and slowly sat herself down in the chair across from his.

"I want to apologize for what I did to you. I handled the situation poorly. I should have told you long before I did that I wasn't ready to marry you. I loved you, but I wasn't  _in_  love with you anymore. I know I hurt you by not telling you as soon as I realized this, but I didn't know what to do or say. What can I say? I'm an idiot nearly ninety percent of the time when it comes to talking about my feelings. When I decided to leave you, I had no idea how much you cared about me. I thought maybe you would be okay, but I was wrong. I hurt you more than I ever imagined, and it hurt me to do that. You were my best friend and I was wrong. I know I went and married Luna shortly after we broke up, but when I was with her it was different. I somehow knew I was meant to be with her. I guess what I'm trying to do is explain how sorry I feel. I miss you being my friend Hermione. I need you in my life… Can you forgive me?"

Hermione stared at her hands that were clasped in her lap. She didn't know what to say. She missed Ron as her friend, but he had broken her heart. Here he was, though, apologizing for making her feel like that. It had taken her a long time to get over the break up, but she was fine now. She truly felt that things could go back to normal. When had she come to that realization? Last night when Draco had been kissing her madly…

Ron was waiting for her answer. She knew that if she didn't accept his apology, they would never be able to be friends again. If she accepted it, then they could go back to normal. She no longer loved Ron; there was no longer a pang in her heart at the thought of him being with Luna. Luna was her friend too. She had been so uptight with her over the past few years, and she deserved better than that. Hermione brought her gaze up to Ron's and smiled warmly. "I accept your apology, Ron. You really are one of my best friends…and I've missed that. I hope we can be friends again too."

Ron jumped up from the table and pulled a stunned Hermione into his arms. He hugged her tightly against his chest. Hermione didn't feel uncomfortable, so she wrapped her arms around him and let the tears fall. She had missed Ron…the old Ron…the best friend who had saved her from the troll all those years ago. This was how they were meant to be; not married with children. She couldn't even picture that anymore. It was like the thoughts had never existed. They were just two old friends sharing a hug in their other best friend's kitchen on a stormy morning.

Hermione was short enough that she could see right under Ron's arm. She smiled and chuckled, "We have an audience." Ron, confused, let her go and turned around; there in the doorway stood Harry, Ginny, Luna, and Draco. The first three began clapping and cheering, while Draco leaned against the doorjamb smirking and shaking his head. Hermione and Ron laughed, and soon the whole gang, plus all of the kids, were digging into the breakfast Hermione cooked. She received numerous compliments and she just told them it was nothing.

Hermione had a hard time concentrating on her food. Draco kept staring at her with this look on his face that made her want to do him right there on the table. She knew her cheeks had to be flushed so she kept her head down for most of the meal. After they had all finished eating, Harry ushered his wife back upstairs to rest and Luna and Ron went to get the kids settled in the playroom. Suddenly, Hermione was completely alone with Draco.

She tried to ignore the nervousness she unexpectedly felt as she watched Draco finish clearing the table. She tried desperately to focus on washing the dishes in the sink. Her heart was beating so loud; he simply had to hear it. Why was he acting so calm? More importantly why was she suddenly acting like a mental case? Hermione inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly to try and calm herself. She closed her eyes and counted to ten before opening them once more. She felt slightly better and was able to concentrate on washing the dishes once more.

Abruptly, Draco's hands were on her hips and his chin was resting on her shoulder. He smelt wonderful and Hermione inhaled deeply as his hands gripped her hips more firmly. He nuzzled her neck and she lost the grip she had on the plate she was washing. It fell back into the sink with a small splash. She leaned back into him, her nerves forgotten for the moment. This is what she wanted from a man; she wanted to feel sexy just simply washing the dishes. It was silly, but she wanted little things like that. Could Draco supply her with such things? Was he  _willing_  to do so?

Draco kissed her cheek. "Breakfast was delicious, Hermione." He had stepped back and turned her to face him now. Her cheeks flushed at the look of pure desire in his eyes. Hermione wanted him, and it appeared he wanted her too. But, they needed to talk; they needed to discuss what they were going to do. "Thank you, Draco. About last night…" She trailed off, unsure where to go with the conversation and hoping that he might know what to say. She had never been so confused about something like this.

Draco smiled and let go of her shoulders. "Last night was amazing, Hermione. I really hadn't ever thought about being with you in that way, to be honest. I…" He didn't know what she expected; this was a first for him. Hermione was staring at him expectantly. He needed to decide where they were headed because apparently Hermione wanted to know, and he had to give her the right answer. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I think maybe we should try dating."

Hermione smiled up at him in relief. "I was thinking the same thing. Last night was something I had never imagined between the two of us, but once it started, I just knew it was right. I don't know how I knew, but I did, and I hope it happens again." She slid up on her tiptoes and gave his lips a gentle brush with hers. "Maybe after this storm is over and we get back to our apartments we can plan something. I know we've spent a lot of time together since you moved in, but it was never meant to be anything more than two friends hanging out. Now, it feels like it was leading us somewhere."

Draco pulled her close once more. "I think I want to see where it's going. I want to change my life. I'm ready to try settling down again. If I found the right woman, then I think I'll finally be able to put Astoria in the past…"

"Of course you'll be able to put her in the past, whether it's with me or someone else…" Suddenly the thought of Draco with someone else made her stomach turn. When did that start? Hermione was nervous as hell! Everything was going so fast, but she could clearly remember many instances where she and Draco had appeared to be closer than friends…

_Reading together on her living room floor; nearly touching as they scanned pages of old books in front of the crackling fire…_

_Cooking together in his kitchen; him leaning into her as he reached for something in the cupboard above her…_

_Having tea together in the small café down the street; her hand accidentally brushing his as she reached for a sugar cube…_

_Lying together in the grass after a good jog through Hogsmeade; their sweating bodies practically touching as they watched the clouds roll by…_

All of this made sense now. They had been unconsciously flirting with one another. Draco had been dating other girls-well not dating but sleeping with-in an attempt to forget Astoria. And Hermione had thrown herself into work and the random date here and there with different men in the attempt to forget Ron. What they hadn't realized was that together they were forgetting their exes. By spending time all that time together, they were creating something more than a friendship. Maybe they were falling in love…

Hermione gazed into Draco's eyes; was she in love? Her erratic heartbeat and butterfly filled stomach told her that maybe she was. She hadn't felt this way since she had first become serious with Ron all those years ago. She wanted to kiss Draco and never stop. She wanted to feel his arms around her and lose herself in his smell. She wanted to…marry him. She wanted to have a family with him. This all seemed crazy, but perfectly right.

Draco watched the turmoil in Hermione's eyes. He didn't blame her for analyzing the situation. That was what she did. He was confused as well. He had no idea all those hours they had spent together would turn into something. He couldn't believe he never noticed the way they had grown so close over the past two years. It was unbelievable to him. And now, here in his arms, was a beautiful woman that apparently held feelings much deeper than anticipated for him. He continued to hold her close and smile down at her. He was going to kiss her. It was now or never…

Their lips were centimeters apart and getting closer, but just as they were about to touch, there was a noise in the living room. The moment was lost and Hermione jumped apart and began washing the dishes again. Harry walked into kitchen and looked from the confused Draco to his best friend hunched over the sink. "I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" he asked.

Hermione cleared her throat and quickly replied, "No, of course not. Draco was just about to help me dry the dishes." She shoved the dish towel into his hands.

He took it, glaring at her from the corner of his eye. "Yeah, we'll finish up in here." He grudgingly began drying the wet dishes. What the hell was her problem? One second she's adorably sexy and the next she's scared shitless and washing the damn dishes!

Harry didn't believe them for a second. He could see the way they looked at each other all the time. When Draco wasn't working at his company, he was working as an Auror, and every time he was at the Ministry with Harry and the other Aurors, all he did was talk about Hermione. Clearly, he was in love with her, and even though he barely got the see Hermione, when he did, she would rave about the new bookstores Draco had taken her to or the meal they had cooked together. She was in love too. Harry took a seat at the table and watched his two friends finish the breakfast dishes. It was still storming so they were still confined to the house. It was obvious the two had finally come to the realization that there might be something more between them. Harry smiled to himself; he was going to enjoy seeing what happened between them the rest of the day.

They all jumped at the loud boom of thunder that crashed outside. Apparently, the storm had no intentions of ending anytime soon. What would transpire next was unknown to them all.


	7. Seven: Hailstorm

"Are you sure that's what you saw?"

"Positive. Well,  _almost_  positive."

Ginny sighed and readjusted Jean against her breast. The storm was still raging and Jean was a little antsy. Harry had just come to check on her only to inform her that he had apparently interrupted something between Hermione and Draco. Ginny was unsure about what Harry might or might not have seen. Hermione and Draco together? That would sure be something, wouldn't it? Those two had been at each other's throats all through school. Sure, Draco had changed after the War ended, and he got married then divorced, but did that mean he had changed so much as to allow himself to be with a muggleborn? Ginny wasn't so sure. "Harry...tell me again what happened."

Harry stopped his pacing by the door and sat down on the end of the bed, making sure not to disturb his wife and newborn. He ran a hand through his shaggy hair and pushed air through his nose. "I was just coming downstairs to make sure everything was all cleaned up when I heard soft talking in the kitchen. I was trying to listen but bumped into a toy. By the time I got a good look, Hermione had jumped back from Draco and started to finish the dishes. But I'm telling you, Gin, Draco looked put out. Like they had just been about to kiss, or maybe even more, and he was upset about losing the chance."

Ginny rolled her eyes and disentangled Jean from her chest. She handed the baby to Harry so he could put her in the bassinet. After Harry was settled back next to her, she responded, "Harry, sure you might have saw that, but you really think they could be together? We're not even sure they were kissing...or about to kiss. They could have just been talking quietly and you startled them." Even to Ginny her explanation seemed a bit far fetched. The more she thought about it, the more her husband could be right. Hermione and Draco lived in the same flat building, and they spent a large amount of time together. They could definitely be in some sort of relationship. But why hadn't they mentioned it? Why would Hermione ask Draco to come to the Burrow if they weren't together?

Harry was watching his wife's face as she came to some sort of conclusion. She looked torn with her thoughts, and Harry felt the same. Draco didn't spend a lot of time at the Auror office, but when he was there, he would ask about Hermione. Sometimes, Hermione would even bring Harry and Draco lunch. They had to be dating. There was no other option. Friends don't just bring each other lunch, nor have dinner together more than twice a week. Harry knew for a fact that Draco and Hermione did practically everything together, whether it was exercising, cooking, shopping, or reading. Harry was more than willing to bet they were either secretly dating or just secretly sleeping with one another...possibly. He wasn't even sure. "This is so frustrating..." he mumbled, rubbing his face with his hands.

Ginny placed her hand lovingly on Harry's cheek. "Why don't you just go ask her? Or ask Draco? I don't think they would try and keep this from us. I'm sure there is a logical reason for what you think you saw. All we have to do is ask..."

"What will Ron think?"

Rolling her eyes, Ginny stated, "Who cares what my brother thinks. He's supposed to be happily married, and plus, he and Hermione made up this morning. I'm sure he would be... _fine_...if the two were, indeed, together." She slid down deeper into the bed. "Now if you don't mind, dear husband, I would like to get some rest while Jean is sleeping. She'll want fed again in a while, and I need some sleep." She yawned right on cue.

Harry laughed and stood from the bed. He planted a small kiss upon her temple. "Get some sleep. I'll keep the masses quiet and maybe find out what exactly is going on between our two friends." Ginny just giggled and closed her eyes. Harry turned out the light and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Once in the dim light of the hall, he began to wonder just how he was going to ask his best friend if she was dating her childhood enemy.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

He was avoiding her.  _Why_  was he avoiding her? Not only was he avoiding her presence when they did happen to be in the same room which wasn't hard here at the Burrow, he avoided her gaze as well. What had she done to make him so angry? Was he upset that she had stopped their almost kiss before Harry saw? Or was he mad that he had slept with her? Hermione groaned inwardly and plopped her head back against the couch, closing her eyes. She was sitting cross legged on the floor playing chess with Ron. He was beating her.

"Come on, 'Mione, you're not losing that bad." He gave her a devilish grin and then proceeded to win the game. "Okay, maybe you are, but you never were really good at chess. You're the book smart girl."

Hermione opened her eyes and gave him an embarrassed grin. "I know." She got up from the floor and stretched. She was still sore from the night before and sitting on the hardwood floor wasn't really helping. However, finally being able to relax with Ron was helping her mood...a little bit. She had barely seen Draco since the dishes incident. According to Luna, he was watching the kids for a while so she could have a shower and make lunch. She really wanted...no,  _needed_ , to talk to him. She felt awful for the way she handled things this morning. She wanted nothing more than to give him a kiss, apologize, and discuss what they would do from there.

Ron, Harry, and she were just relaxing in the living room. Harry kept shooting her the strangest looks though. It made her wonder if he had seen more than her and Draco 'washing the dishes' this morning. She was actively avoiding  _his_  gaze. She wasn't sure if he would say anything to her but she was fairly certain he would most definitely not say anything in front of Ron. Unfortunately for her, Luna chose that moment to come downstairs and lead Ron into the kitchen to help prepare lunch. Hermione swallowed hard as she sat down on the couch knowing that Harry would seize this opportunity to ask his questions.

Harry moved from the chair across the room to sit on the couch. He sighed loudly and Hermione rolled her eyes. He always did have a hard time expressing himself. Figuring she might as well get this over with, she turned to face her best friend, tucking her legs under herself. She gave Harry an encouraging smile.

Harry smiled back and took her hand in his. "Hermione, you're my best friend, and I know we can tell each other anything. I think by now we can ask each other anything as well...right?" When Hermione nodded yes Harry smiled, clearly encouraged by her answer. He took a deep breath and forged on. "Well, then, I guess I'll just come right out and ask you..." He gave her hand a squeeze. "Are you and Draco in a relationship?"

Hermione's heart skipped a beat. Literally. She swallowed thickly trying to clear her throat in hopes that she would be able to answer Harry. She needed more time to think because one, she wasn't sure how he would take her answer, and two; she didn't even know what to tell him exactly. Just as she was about to spit out some sort of answer Draco walked into the room. His eyes met hers and her heart melted, skipped another beat, and flew up to sit in her throat. What the hell was the answer? Was she dating Draco or were they just sleeping together?

Harry noticed how nervous and pale Hermione suddenly became. He followed her gaze and saw Draco standing in the doorway to the stairs. He coughed to clear his throat and gave a grin to Draco trying to encourage him to come more fully into the room. Might as well get everything out in the open, right?

Draco slowly moved forward, his expression unreadable and perched himself on the edge of the large chair. He nodded towards Hermione. "Go ahead. Give Harry your answer."

Hermione tried to swallow. Draco didn't look happy at all. He looked annoyed and cautious. Actually, he looked a bit like he was about to throw an insult at her. It was a look she had long since forgotten and had hoped never to experience again. So what did she tell Harry? Why lie? It was best to just tell the truth. Squaring her shoulders she thought, " _I'm a Gryffindor. I am brave and smart and cunning. I can do this_." She eased out a breath, "We've slept together. We've gone out on what I guess you would consider dates, and we hang out a lot." She looked over at Draco with a small smile. "We haven't really had a chance to discuss what we really should be considered."

Harry turned to look at Draco, who merely shrugged and said, "She's right. We haven't really talked about anything. We just sort of...came together." Just then there was a large crash from the kitchen doorway. The tree jumped up and glanced over. Right in the doorway to the kitchen there was a glass, broken on the floor. Hermione and Harry looked at each other and muttered one thing, "Ron." With a sigh, Hermione placed her hand on Harry's shoulder before he could go. "Let me talk to him." Harry nodded and Hermione took her hand from his shoulder and with a deep breath entered the kitchen.

Draco watched Hermione as she carefully walked into the kitchen, not envying her for one minute. Ron had always had such a nasty temper and he had no desire to get either punched in the face or hexed, especially during this magic storm. Instead, he turned his attention to the Boy Who Lived. Harry was standing looking forlorn with one hand in his pocket and the other pinching the bridge of his nose. His glasses were pushed up and his eyes closed. Draco sighed and plopped himself down into the chair. "She'll be okay, you know. She  _is_  Hermione Granger after all. She's been dealing with the two of you for years."

Harry laughed and fixed his glasses. Turning towards Draco he smiled. "Believe me, I know, and we sure haven't made it easy for her." He sat back down on the couch and ran his hands through his naturally messy hair. "And what about you? Are you ready to handle all that is Hermione Granger?"

Draco smirked. "That's a good question. I guess I'm lucky that I've changed from that arse that I was, into a real wizard. Only a  _real_  wizard can handle  _that_  witch. She's one of a kind. I wasn't sure about her at first, but she showed me a side of her that I never really knew existed, and in turn, she got to see a side of me that I had never let anyone experience...not even my ex-wife." He jerked his head towards the kitchen. "If anyone can handle Ron's reaction to this situation, Hermione can."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Luna was busy making up sandwiches when she heard Ron break a glass. She turned to find him clenching his fists and his face turning bright red. "Ron? Ron what's wrong," she asked putting down the mustard knife. "Are you alright?" Ron's face was scrunched up and he looked fit to burst!

Ron unclenched and clenched his hands and then stormed toward the kitchen door. "No. I need a minute." And then he opened the door and marched right out into the raging storm. Luna stared after him with her mouth agape. The rain was pouring in, the thunder was still pounding, and lightning flashed across the sky. She ran to the door and yelled out, "Ron! Ron, you'll be killed! The magic storm!" She watched as he entered his father's old garage.

"Luna?" Luna turned around and saw Hermione standing there looking worried. "What's happened? Where's Ron? He didn't go out there did he?" Hermione asked walking towards the door.

Luna nodded. "Yes. He went into the garage! He's lost his mind going out there! Look at the lightning; it's going to mess with his magic for sure!" She was wringing her hands together so Hermione gently put her arm on her shoulder. "I'll go and get him. I think it's my fault he's run out there like this. Get Harry and Draco to help you finish lunch. We'll be back in the safety of this house quickly."

Luna nodded so Hermione took a deep breath and ran outside towards the garage hoping that Luna shut the door to block out the storm. As she ran, Hermione could feel the zinging of her magic in her very bones. If they weren't careful, crazy things could happen. She reached the garage door just as the first pieces of hail began to pound down from the sky. She covered her head and ducked through the door.

Ron was sitting on an old work table, turning a faded rubber duck over in his hands. Hermione shut the door behind her but out here in the garage with the tin roof the storm was deafening. "Ron?" she asked moving towards him. "Ron, look, I need to talk to you."

Ron snorted and threw the duck across the room. "Yeah,  _now_  you want to talk to me,  _after_ you've slept with Draco  _Malfoy_." He sneered towards her. Hermione flinched and just stared at her ex-lover but he kept on talking. "Look, I understand that we haven't been together for ages and that I'm married to Luna, and don't get me wrong I love her, but…" He sighed and hung his head. "I'll always love you, Hermione. Maybe not in the way that I love Luna, but I love you enough to not want you with someone like Malfoy."

Now it was her turn to sigh. "Ron, he's different now. He's been through a lot, and so have I. We're good for each other." She walked toward Ron slowly. "We've only just slept together anyway. We've haven't even had a chance to work out our relationship… We don't even know what we'll become." She shrugged. "He's been there for me and I've been there for him. I think that we deserve a chance to see what we can become. You have Luna and Gabriel… I want that. I want someone to share my life with and have children with. I can't just be Hermione Granger: bookworm and workaholic forever." She slid her hand into his and asked, "Can you understand this?"

Ron looked down at her sadly. "I do understand and feel like such an idiot. Just a few hours ago I was apologizing to you, and here I am now, losing my temper about you and Malfoy." He closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. "Hermione, you can date whoever you want, and if that happens to be Malfoy…Well I guess I'll just have to be alright with that." He reached out and squeezed her hand. "I do have Luna and Gabriel and I hope, finally, that we'll add to our family, but I want you to have a family as well."

Hermione beamed up at her friend, "Good! Now, let's get back into the safety of the house before the storm messes with our magic!" She pulled him towards the door.

"Yeah, I can sure feel my magic radiating in my bones right now. I hope this hail doesn't hurt too much as we run across the yard!"

Hermione laughed and opened the door. "Race you?"

Ron put on his game face. "You're on!"

And with the rain pouring, the hail pounding, the thunder booming, and the lightning flashing, two old friends bolted across the yard to the safety of their friends and family.


	8. Eight: Twisted

Ron and Hermione were out of breath from laughing and running when they barged back into the kitchen. Ron was wiping the rain water from his eyes and Hermione was trying to get the thick mess of her hair out of her face. Luna practically flew over from the table and into Ron's arms. "Oh Ron! I was so worried something would happen to you out there! This storm is getting crazier by the minute instead of better and anything could have happened to you and Hermione."

Ron hugged his wife back and gave Hermione a sheepish grin over the top of her blond hair. Hermione smiled back and then her gaze fell upon Draco. He was leaning casually against the ice box with his arms crossed.

Harry cleared his throat. "I think that I'm going to serve the children's sandwiches in the playroom. That way, everyone has some time to talk and clean up or get dried off…" He smiled and levitated the plates of food out of the room.

Luna looked up into her husband's eyes. "Ron let's go and get you dried off shall we? Nargles are attracted to wet clothes…" With a silly, lopsided grin Ron took her hand and led her out of the room.

This left Hermione dripping by the door and having a stare down with her  _lover_? She sighed and turned to check that the wards they placed were still holding. She set her hands flat on the wall and closed her eyes. After a minute of concentrating, she sighed in relief; the wards were still there. She could feel them buzzing through the walls.

"What are you doing?"

Hermione yelped and turned in surprise. "Oh! Draco you scared me half to death! Please don't sneak up on me…" She concentrated on the hardwood floor. There was a puddle forming around her feet. The rain was really coming down outside.

Draco nodded and mumbled, "Sorry…but I did say your name twice." Smirking, he tucked a strand of sopping wet hair behind Hermione's ear.

She took a step back and leaned against the wall for support. "I was just checking the wards… I guess I'll go and get changed now." She stepped around Draco and headed for the door, but just as she reached it she decided to stop. "Actually, no… My clothes can wait." She turned to face him and placed her hands on her hips. "Why are you so mad with me? I can tell by your stance, the way you talked to me earlier, and you've been avoiding me since after breakfast! What did I do? Are you upset that we didn't kiss in front of Harry? To be honest, I've never been one for public displays of affection. Not to mention, I had absolutely  _no_  idea how he would take us making out at his kitchen sink!" She was breathing heavily as she finished and hoping her voice didn't carry upstairs.

Draco slowly walked towards her but she held her ground. When he was right in front of her, she lifted her chin to glare into his face. "Are you going to answer me or what?"

Draco chuckled and shook his head lightly. "Look, you're incredibly sexy when you're being stubborn, not to mention, you're soaking wet. But here's the thing; yes, I was upset with you." He took a deep breath and continued, "You rejecting my kiss this morning brought on feelings that I hadn't felt in a while," he explained as he ran a hand through his hair. "Feelings I haven't experienced since Astoria and I were over."

Hermione frowned and put her hands on Draco's forearm. "Oh… Oh Draco, I'm so very sorry. I never meant to make you feel rejected. I felt embarrassed and scared…and unsure." She squeezed his arms. "We still haven't discussed what's going to happen between us. We need to, though." She looked into his icy eyes.

Draco nodded. "I completely agree. We need to talk about this, but I want to do it in private. I don't want the entire Weasley family in our business." He turned away from her out of her arms. "I'm sorry, Hermione. My temper is aggravated from this damn storm." He looked down at his hands and said, "I can feel my magic just buzzing through me and it's making me restless."

Hermione was unsure of what to say. She could clearly see how irritated he was; it was almost as if sparks were about to burst from his fingertips. Draco just kept looking at his hands as if he thought they might do just that. Hermione swayed from foot to foot listening to the dripping from her clothes hitting the floor. So many things were going through her mind. She watched Draco as if in slow motion, wondering exactly where they would end up.

The room felt like it was spinning and she found herself sitting down on one of the chairs. What the heck had her life come to? She was a single witch who had worked her way up in the Ministry, grew bored with her desk job, gone to Healing school, and  _then_  moved right on up the chain there as well! And somewhere along the line, she lost her first love, lost her mind over it, and then  _fell_  for her childhood enemy. She seriously must be mental or something…

Looking back up, she found Draco downing a glass of water. Her head was pounding; she was tired, hungry, and frustrated. "Draco?" he turned to look at her over his shoulder, "I think I'm going to go change or shower, or  _something_ …then take a nap." She stood back up. "Hopefully when I wake up, this storm is over and I can go home and actually  _enjoy_  my time off from work!" She stalked towards the door but turned back, once again, to speak to Draco, "And  _then_  after my time off from work ends, I'm going to quit my job, pack up my apartment, and go to visit my parents in Australia for a while. I'm SICK and TIRED of living the life I live and  _never_  knowing what's going to happen next…"

She tried to drag her hands through her wet mess of hair and failed. " _Obviously_ , I'm wasting my time here with you! Here I am just trying to talk to you and after all this time you still compare that  _bitch_  Astoria to ME! I'm Hermione Granger!" She stormed back over towards him glaring into his stunned face and jabbed her finger into his chest, "I have been your best friend since you divorced her and have done  _everything_  for you! Then, we just happen to have  _sex_  once and all of a sudden you get weird!" She took a deep breath and got right into his face. "Well, guess what Draco Malfoy, this storm is making me act like a completely crazy person and I think I am in LOVE with you!"

She stood there in absolute shock at how she just freaked out and tried to get her erratic breathing under control. Draco was looking down at her; his icy blue eyes boring into hers with so many emotions roaring through them she could hardly keep up. Her head felt like it was spinning again. Draco opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but instead he closed it, grabbed her under the shoulders, and promptly turned and slammed her into the wall.

Hermione opened her mouth to protest but suddenly Draco's mouth was crashing down onto her own. Her eyes widened but at the feel of Draco grinding his hips into hers, she closed it and moaned into his mouth, letting her hands snake into his hair.

Draco allowed his hands to roam down her body until he found her hips. Grabbing her bottom, he lifted her so that her legs were wrapped around his hips. He broke the kiss to mumble against her earlobe, "Upstairs…now." Hermione looked him in the eyes, still panting, and nodded. That was all the answer he needed. Holding onto her back, he hurried them upstairs and into the room they had shared the night before.

He set her down on her feet and turned to lock the door, but the instant that was done he turned and pushed her down onto the bed. Hermione grabbed his hair and pulled his mouth to hers. She was totally and utterly lost in the feel of his body on top of hers. He was running his hands down the length of her body and then on the way back up his right hand slid up the inside of her thigh. Hermione bucked and moaned, "Oh please Draco…just take me now."

Draco's laugh vibrated against the side of her throat. "All in good time, Hermione." He continued the kiss and lick the side of her neck while he removed her wet trousers.

Hermione couldn't take it anymore. Her blood was buzzing and so was her magic and hormones. She pushed him off with all her might to sweep her soaking shirt off her head and throw her bra across the room. She smiled at Draco as she pulled his shirt over his head. "Trousers. Off. Now," she commanded through clenched teeth.

Draco smirked and slid his jeans off in a most deliciously slow manner. When he was finished, Hermione held out her hand. Draco took it and joined her on the bed. He cradled her face in his palm and gently kissed her mouth. "I know we still have things to talk about, but right now all I want is to be with you." He kissed her again. "There will be time later."

Hermione nodded and pulled him down on top of her. His hands slid down her body again but this time he slid her knickers off as well. Hermione was shivering in anticipation. She needed this. She needed him right now. Draco kissed the tip of her nose and slowly entered her. Hermione threw her head back with a groan and thrust her hips up to meet his. Draco grabbed her left leg and instructed her to wrap her legs around him.

Hermione did just that and soon their pace was back to frantic and frenzied. The room felt like it was spinning so Hermione closed her eyes and let her body take over. Whenever she felt the need to cry out she either bit Draco's shoulder or took his mouth in a sensuous kiss.

Draco was doing his best not to break the bed, but it was quite difficult with all the emotions and magic running through his body. He kept his face in the crook of her neck smelling her sweet scent and so that he could kiss her whenever she grabbed his face.

Hermione could feel herself nearing the edge of oblivion. She groaned out, "Draco? Draco I'm close…" He nodded against her neck and quickened the pace. He sure hoped to Merlin that no one could hear the noise they were making. Suddenly, he felt her walls clenching around him and he quickly captured her mouth. He found it extremely erotic to feel her pulsing around him and that sent him barreling over the edge as well.

When they had both calmed, Draco rolled over and brought Hermione with him. She had herself draped casually over him as their breathing returned to normal. He kept rubbing soft circles over the back of her shoulders and he had to smile when he heard her sigh contentedly. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly.

Hermione eased her head up from his chest. "Yeah…I feel quite…satisfied." She said with a demure smile. In all honesty, she had never been with someone so aggressive, yet so romantic. Her body was still zinging, but now it was now in satisfaction. She leaned down and gave him a slow kiss on the mouth.

"Yes," Draco remarked after the kiss, "satisfied is definitely the right way to word this. I no longer feel like I want to hex the hell out of someone."

Hermione swatted him playfully before a yawn escaped her. Sitting upright, she asked, "Do you think it's still storming? We should get cleaned up and head back down. I'm sure Luna will need help figuring out what to do for dinner."

Draco laughed as he pulled on his jeans. "Are you kidding me? I'm pretty sure Luna and Ron were up to the same exact thing we were… Nothing is sexier than sex after a good rain." He smirked at the look of shock on her face. "But Harry is bound to be going nuts with the children and his newborn and wife."

Hermione nodded as she slid on a pair of jeans, an old sweatshirt, and clean socks. "I can't believe I ran across the yard without shoes… Those socks are most certainly ruined. Pass me my wet clothes so I can pack them in my bag." Draco handed her the clothes and also a brush. She took it and began the tedious task of getting the rain and sex-formed knots out of her thick hair.

Draco was just pulling on his shirt when he heard yelling in the hallway and the loud thumping of someone running down the stairs. He stuck his head out the door to see what the commotion was. Harry was standing at the top of the steps and yelling for his children and Gabriel to get down to the living room. The kids were running as quick as they could. Looking around, he noticed Ron and Luna's heads peeking out of their bedroom too. Harry, spotting everyone shouted, "You lot, a tornado is coming! Get downstairs so we can get into the cellar. Draco, will you take Jean so I can help Ginny downstairs?"

Draco was out the door and up the steps in a flash shouting, "No problem," as he went. He took the baby and ran back down to the room. He reached in and grabbed Hermione's hand. "Let's go. There a tornado coming!" Hermione's face paled but she followed after him as he led them downstairs.

The kids were in a sort of panic, not sure exactly what was happening. Hermione swallowed and went into action. "Alright kiddos, we're all going to stick together and head down into the cellar. Everyone hold onto someone else's hand. I'll take James, James take Albus, Albus take Lily. Lily take Gabriel, and Gabriel…you take Draco's hand okay?" All the kids grabbed hold and then Hermione led them into the kitchen and down into the cellar. It was dark and slightly damp, but there were benches and a picnic table, plus plenty of blankets.

Draco and Hermione had everyone settled when Ron and Ginny came flying down the steps, closely followed by Harry gently aiding Ginny down. "Is everyone alright?" asked Harry as he settled his wife in one of the more comfortable chairs. Once everyone was settled Ron made sure the cellar door was shut tight and then the group settled in to wait out the storm.

Within a few minutes it sounded like a freight train was barreling through the yard. Hermione and the other adults helped the children crouch on the floor and cover their heads just in case something fell on top of them. Harry and Ginny covered Jean and sat in the corner under a table. Everyone was eerily calm as the storm twisted above them.


	9. Nine: Clear Skies

"Is everyone alright?" Hermione whispered after the roaring of the tornado had faded away, and the house had stopped shaking. She turned to look at the children. Their eyes were wide like deer caught in headlights, but they all nodded—Lily sniffed.

Harry stood up and helped Ginny, who was holding Jean, to her feet. "You all stay here; Ron, Draco, and I will go up and assess the damage." Draco pried Hermione's hand from his and followed the other two up the stairs.

Hermione looked down at her fingers. She hadn't even known she had a death grip on him. How embarrassing. She closed her eyes for a second. Well, not too embarrassing; she was pretty sure the whole house had heard their escapades earlier.

She met Luna's eyes and Luna gave her a dreamy smile. Okay, so Luna knew, but that's alright considering her and Ron were up to the same exact activities. She turned her attention to Ginny. Ginny was trying to get Jean comfortable in her arms, but she glanced up long enough to shake her head at Hermione with a smirk that could rival Draco's on her lips.

Great. She was never going to live this one down. She stood and stretched, looking at the steps. She hoped that the house didn't have any damage. Ginny's three children were gathering around her now, and Gabriel had wandered over to Luna. She sighed and sat on the bottom step. She really wished she had children soon. Maybe, if things worked out with Draco…

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Upstairs, Harry, Ron, and Draco were combing through the house. So far, the only damage was a busted window in the kitchen and random knick knacks that had fallen from shelves. Draco picked a lamp off the floor and straightened the shade before placing it back on the coffee table. He turned to say something to Harry, but Harry cut him off.

"So, Draco… We all um, heard you and Hermione together earlier. Does this mean you're dating?" He looked uncomfortable talking about his best friend's love life. "Did you two work everything out?"

Draco had the decency to look a bit sheepish. "Well, we tried to talk, but it just didn't go in that direction… She got upset, and it was raining…"

Ron snorted. "So you two haven't exactly decided to be a real couple then? She's never going to go for that no-commitment thing. That's why I had to end it with her. I wasn't ready to settle down with her. I felt we were too close as friends, but not close enough as lovers. She didn't take it that way though, especially when I got with Luna." Ron was shutting cabinet doors.

Harry nodded in agreement. "Look, Draco, we get that you like her, and that you want to be with her, but we also know your history with the female population. You better make things right with her or you know we'll have her back and not yours."

Draco took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I understand. I'm in no way going to play Hermione. We've grown really close and she even said that she might be in love with me. To be honest, I think I feel the same way. We just want to be alone to have our discussion." He looked at the other's faces. "Honestly, we just thought it would be better to talk after we left here, than with everyone in our business. No offense, of course."

Harry laughed, "Relax, Draco. We're just having some fun. Of course we understand that you two need to be alone."

"Yeah, when you two leave later, make sure you tell her exactly what you want… Otherwise, she'll be mad beyond belief. I know from example."

"Got it."

Then the three of them finished clearing up the debris.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A few hours later, the entire household was standing on top of the hill in the backyard watching the sun go down. The sunset was beautifully calm considering how extreme the storm had been the past two days. Who would have thought that the little magic storm that was predicted would have blown up into such an event? The radio had announced it was safe for magical travel and the use of magic a little over an hour ago, but no one seemed in the mood to leave just yet.

Luna and Ron were cuddled on a rock with Gabriel asleep on their laps. They were talking quietly and Luna kept pointing out the hiding places of those magic creatures she liked to study. Harry had brought a chair out for Ginny to sit upon while holding Jean, and a blanket for his three other children to sit. He was currently standing next to Ginny with his hand on her shoulder.

Draco and Hermione were settled under the tree. Draco had his hand on her leg and Hermione had her head on his shoulder. Hermione sighed happily as the sun dipped below the horizon. It was always so refreshing after a storm. She and Draco would return home shortly, and then they would have to decide what exactly they would do with their relationship.

Draco turned his head and nudged Hermione to look. Ron, Luna, and Gabriel were just about to leave. The two of them got up from under the tree and walked over to say their goodbyes. Hermione reluctantly accepted a hug from Luna and then Ron. After, they had left Hermione walked over to say goodbye to Harry and Ginny.

"Hey, you two," she whispered so she wouldn't wake Jean or the other children. "We're going to head home now." Ginny leaned up and let Hermione peck her on the cheek. Hermione then turned and gave Harry a big hug. "We'll see you all soon, alright?"

"Yes, you two come back and visit again soon, or maybe we can all go out." Harry held Hermione at arm's length and gave her a smile. Hermione smiled back and he let her go. Draco shook Harry's hand and then they both apparated home.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

They landed outside of the flat building. It was full dark now and the streetlamp shown down on them. Draco turned and offered his hand to Hermione, "Your flat or mine?"

Hermione took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a minute. When she opened them she smiled, "Mine? I have wine and a fireplace."

"That sounds great to me."

They walked inside and up the stairs. Hermione glanced at the door of Draco's flat before they passed it. When they reached her door she hesitated, but Draco gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. She released the spells she had cast to protect her flat and pushed open the door. Stepping inside she was greeted by the familiar sight of her beloved flat. Even though it smelled of rain and stale magic, she was beyond grateful to be home.

"Why don't I make us some tea? You can put the duffles in my bedroom."

Draco nodded and carried their duffle bags through her bedroom door. Hermione went back toward the kitchen and set water to boil. After a minute, she smiled and prodded the kettle with her wand; after two days of no magic she relished the chance to magically boil the water. Draco joined her back in the kitchen, sitting down at her little table. Finishing the tea, she joined him.

They both sipped their tea quietly for a minute, but Hermione couldn't take the quiet any longer. She needed to talk. She needed them to make a plan. She had always been about plan making, and she wasn't sure it was the best thing to do when it came to relationships, but she knew that something needed to be done.

"Alright, Draco, I think we have some things to discuss."

He set his teacup down gently on the table and lifted his head to smile charmingly at her. His eyes were sparkling and his hair was sitting in just  _that_  way upon his forehead. He rubbed his now free hand over the stubble on his face. "Hermione," he began taking her hand in his. "We have always had our differences, our squabbles, our fights. I think, though, that it is time we try something new. We both know that we are sexually compatible." At this a blush crept upon her cheeks. "But I believe that we may be more than that; I believe we may be romantically compatible."

"I believe that too." Hermione smiled warmly and said, "After everything that I have been through with the war, Ron, work… I just want something stable in my life. I want someone who will be there for me, have fun with me, and make me feel sexy  _and_  beautiful at the same time. I know that Astoria really messed with you, but I need you to be there for me. I need to know that you won't get bored with me after a few weeks and move on to someone else. I absolutely cannot handle that happening to me again."

Draco swallowed hard and sat up a bit straighter. "Hermione, I'm completely ready to move on from the bachelor lifestyle I have been living. I've been looking for something that was right in front of me all this time. I want to give this a try. We might get six months from now and realize that we completely can't stand each other for one more minute, but I am willing to give it a try if you are. What do you think?"

Hermione sat back into her chair and pondered. Sure, they were great together now; they were friends, he  _finally_ got along with her friends, and not to mention the sex was great. But what if he was right? What if she hated him later on? She smiled- that was a risk she was willing to take. Anyway, who said love was easy? No one, that's who, and she knew for certain that in this moment she was either already in love with Draco, or just about there.

"Draco, I would be very happy to be your girlfriend. I want nothing more than to see where this crazy life leads us."

Draco came around the side of the table and knelt in front on her. He took her face in both of her hands, looked right into her eyes, and then kissed her deeply. She kissed him back passionately and found she was a bit breathless when he pulled back a few minutes later. Draco leaned back so he could look into her eyes again.

"Hermione, you have just made me the happiest wizard alive."

She gave him a peck on the lips. "Shall I get the wine?"

"Absolutely, and I'll light the fire."

And that was the beginning of their relationship. Hopefully it was clear skies ahead!


	10. Epilogue

Six Years later

Draco was lounging on a blanket by the lake in front of Hogwarts. He was thoroughly enjoying this lovely Saturday afternoon. All the older students were in Hogsmeade for a day trip and the younger students were mostly lingering on the other side of the lake. He was enjoying the peaceful, quiet, spring air. The school year was starting to wind down and he couldn't wait for summer to arrive. Sure, he loved his students and teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, but he was looking forward to a summer traveling with his family. Yes, his family. Draco smiled up at the sunny sky. Things sure had changed in the past six years. Draco stretched lazily and shut his eyes for a snooze.

The next thing he knew water was splashing him in the face. He let out a yelp and sat up wiping the water from his eyes. He frantically began searching for which student had decided to prank him. That was when he heard the giggling. He stood up and wiped himself off, glancing back and forth. Sure enough, hiding behind a nearby tree was his four year old son, Scorpius. He waved and began bounding towards him. He opened his arms, ready for him to jump into them. He laughed as Draco pulled him close and swung him around. When Draco had stopped spinning and placed Scorpius back on his feet, he asked, "Where are your mommy and sister?" His son smiled up at him with his silver eyes and pointed to the tree.

"Alright, Hermione, you've been given up. Time to come out or I will be forced to make you." He smirked and reached for his wand in the back pocket of his slacks. Hermione sauntered out from behind the tree with a large grin on her face. She held a one year old child in her arms; Rose. "Draco, is that any way to treat your loving and doting wife?" She kissed him on his cheek, causing him to turn and capture her lips for a quick kiss. "That's better." Hermione stated.

"To what to I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Draco asked as he ruffled his son's hair. Scorpius tried to swat his father's hand away, but failed. Hermione shrugged her shoulders, "The children wanted to see their daddy. Plus, Scorpius was driving your mother up a wall." Hermione and Draco had moved back to the Manor after they were married, and when Draco was away at school teaching, Narcissa would help Hermione with the children. This way the children missed their father less and Hermione had an extra person to help her take care of them when she had to go into St. Mungo's for the occasional day of work. Although, Hermione was more of a business associate at the hospital than a Healer these days. She had taken a long leave of absence after she and Draco were married so they could start a family.

Draco turned to his wife and children. "I'm glad you came to visit today. The weather is beautiful. We can take a walk around the lake and have a picnic, if you'd like." Draco watched as Scorpius threw rocks into the water. He turned to look at Hermione, who nodded. "Great!" Draco clapped his hands and looked at his wife. "Why don't you pop into the castle and see if the house elves can pack us up a picnic lunch and I will catch up with the kids?"

Hermione sat Rose on Draco's blanket and then kissed her husband on the cheek. "That sounds great. It will be nice to see Winky and help her pack us a lunch." Draco took watched as Hermione made her way up the hill into the castle before crouching down next to children, "Your mother is the most beautiful woman in the world… She is also the smartest."

Rose giggled and pulled on a strand of her curly brown hair. She was the exact copy of her mother, only miniature. Scorpius on the other hand, was the exact copy of his father. He had the pointed chin, sleek blond hair, and steel grey eyes. But when the two stood together, you could tell that they were siblings, so they must have some features from both of their parents. Draco was so blessed and happy to have such a wonderful family. Scorpius tugged on his father's pant leg. "Daddy, can you tell me about when you and mommy got married?"

Draco sat down on the blanket and motioned for Scorpius to join him as well. He gathered Rose into his lap. "Sure, I'd love to tell you." He stared up at the sunny sky again and then kissed the top of his daughter's head. "Your mother and I got married on a day such as this, but we got together on a day completely opposite..." He smiled at the memory…

_Draco was a nervous wreck. He was sweating and jittery. He had no idea how he was going to ask Hermione the most important question of his life. He loved her more than any other person in the world. Sure, they had only been together for six months, but he was ready to ask her to be his wife. He had finally pushed his ex-wife out of his mind and he was ready to settle down with his girlfriend. Hermione was due at his flat any minute. She was at hers getting dressed for their dinner date._

_Six months; it had been six months since they had gotten together. He could still remember every moment he spent at the Burrow during that magic storm. From their first kiss, to their first experience, and even him asking her to be his girlfriend...something he hadn't done since he had started dating his ex after the war. He had been nervous about asking Hermione to be his girl, but it was nothing compared to how he felt right now._

_Draco had told Hermione to wear something nice because he was taking her to a fancy restaurant in Diagon Alley. He wondered what she would wear. He was wearing a pair of dark blue dress pants and a grey button up shirt with a blue tie that matched his pants._

_When there was a knock on the door, Draco nearly jumped out of his skin. Clearing his throat, he walked over and opened it. His heart nearly stopped beating and he took a sharp breath. Hermione stood in his doorway looking more beautiful than he had ever seen her. She was wearing a black pencil skirt with a modest slit up the side and a purple silk shirt, that she had tucked in. Her heels were black and tall and made Draco's mouth water. She had managed to pull her hair half back and it fell down her back in elegant curls. Draco swallowed and cleared his throat again. "Wow, Hermione, you're absolutely stunning tonight."_

_He was rewarded with a faint blush that crept over her cheeks. 'Thank you, Draco. You look dashing yourself." She took his hand in hers and squeezed. "Shall we go?" He nodded and shut the door. Grabbing his wand, he apparated them to the Leaky Cauldron. They went out the back, touched the right stone with their wands, and then began walking down the street. The sun was just beginning to set and Draco couldn't have felt more at peace. He was still nervous, but Hermione's presence was helping him relax._

_Hermione was silent as they walked, but he noticed she kept glancing at him. Most likely she could tell something was up...she was a know-it-all after all. She would glance at him and then look as if she wanted to say something, but then she would just smile and continue walking in silence. When they arrived in front of the restaurant Hermione broke into a big grin, "Finnegan's! How on earth did you get us into here? I heard the waiting list was months long." She gave him a kiss on the cheek._

_Draco smiled and pulled her close to whisper in her ear, "Well, I called in a favor with Harry. Seamus apparently owed Harry a reservation and he offered it to us."_

_Hermione looked stunned that Draco had asked Harry for help. She simply shook her head and grabbed his hand. "Come on then; let's go inside. I can't wait to eat here!" Draco laughed at her excitement. He loved making her happy...and he hoped that he could make her happy for the rest of his life._

_Their table was situated in the far corner, right by the immense front window. The fall sky was a beautiful arrangement of colors because of the sunset. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Their waiter brought them over a basket of fresh bread that smelled heavenly and a bottle of wine that Draco requested. Hermione was quiet as she nibbled on a piece of the bread. She was gazing about, taking in the scenery of the restaurant. Draco sipped his wine and tried not to look as nervous as he felt. They made idle chit chat while they waited for their food; they were planning a trip to Ireland in the summer. Hermione had never been there, and luckily Draco's family owned a house there. He was hoping that if she accepted his proposal that they could have their wedding there as well._

_When the food arrived, Hermione smiled. She had ordered roast duck and it looked divine. Draco had ordered filet mignon, but he barely tasted it. He was too busy watching Hermione enjoy her dinner and trying not to be sick from his nerves. Finally, it was time for dessert. This was it; it was now or never. The waiter brought them their crème brulee to share and champagne. Hermione took a sip of her champagne before tasting her dessert. "This is fantastic, Draco. We have to try and come again sometime; maybe during the holidays."_

_Draco nodded enthusiastically, causing Hermione to stare at him strangely. He cleared his throat and pointed out the window. "Look at all the stars tonight. We should take a walk around Hogsmeade before I take you home." While Hermione's head was turned, Draco pulled a small box from his pocket. Inside contained the ring that had been passed down by generation in his family. His mother had sent it to him just yesterday knowing of his plans for tonight._

_Hermione hadn't noticed his movement and when she turned back to face him he was gone, but then her eyes widened when she noticed he was kneeling next to her. Her hand went up to her throat. "Draco, what are you doing?" she stuttered out._

_Draco gave her a tender smile and took her hand in his. He swallowed and began to speak, "Hermione, we have been through a lot since we met when we were young. A lot of events, both good and bad, led us to this point in our lives. I wouldn't change one single moment of it because then we might not be here together tonight. I know I've done some bad things to you in the past and that we've moved on from that into an amazing friendship and then relationship, but I want you to know that you are the most beautiful, smart, and amazing witch I have ever met. It would make me the happiest wizard alive if you would be my wife. Will you marry me?"_

_The entire restaurant had become silent. They, along with Draco, were awaiting her answer. Hermione's cheeks were flushed and she looked a bit startled. Draco couldn't breathe. What if she said no? What if there was just too much bad blood between them? What if she never spoke to him again? He couldn't go on without her. She was the other half of him...his soulmate._

_Finally, after what seemed an eternity, which was in reality only a minute, Hermione broke into a smile and tears sprang to her eyes. "Of course, Draco Malfoy! Of course I'll marry you. My answer is yes!"_

_Draco let out a cheer, as the rest of the restaurant began clapping and opened the ring box for her so she could see the engagement ring. The ring was white gold with a medium sized princess cut diamond. On one side of the diamond was a small emerald, and on the other side a small ruby. He slipped it out of the box and slid it onto Hermione's finger. She looked at it tenderly and then jumped into his arms before kissing him full on the mouth. Draco kissed her back and felt his cheeks grow red. He wasn't used to showing affection in public._

_When they broke apart their waiter offered to take their picture in order to capture the moment. Draco pulled his, now, fiancée close and they smiled for the magical camera. Draco could tell Hermione was in awe as they sat down to finish their dessert. Now they had something to toast to with their champagne. "Hermione, you've made me so very happy tonight." He reached for her hand._

_Hermione blushed but said, "Draco, I cannot believe that we are here, together, and that we are engaged. This feels so perfect. I never thought that I would find my one true love, but I did with you. I love you."_

_Draco lifted her hand to hip lips and kissed it gently. "I love you too, Hermione." Tonight had been perfect._

_. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._

_The next ten months flew by in Draco's opinion. Wedding planning was far more complicated than he had thought. Hermione agreed with him that they should be married in Ireland at his family's house so they had packed up and moved there in May. Hermione would floo into work each morning and Draco would floo to the Manor to help his mother keep the family business running; he also went into the Ministry to help Harry with Auror missions now and then too. Their wedding was set for the second week in July and then they would move back to Malfoy Manor with Narcissa at the end of August._

_Hermione had chosen Ginny as her Matron of honor and Luna, surprisingly, was her bridesmaid. Draco had chosen Harry as his best man and Blaise Zabini to be his groomsman. Harry's daughter Lily was the flower girl, and Luna and Ron's son, Gabriel, was the ring bearer. Draco had begun to warm up to Ron during the planning process. Ron had become a much better husband and father since the magic storm. That storm had changed a lot of their lives. Luna was even expecting another child; a little girl this time that they planned on naming Molly._

_Narcissa had been overly thrilled at the idea of him marrying Hermione. She even told him that, "Hermione has made you into the man you were always meant to be. You two will do great things together." He had blushed at his mother's compliment, but felt happy nonetheless. His mother and Hermione spent an obscene amount of time together planning the wedding. The house in Ireland was large enough to accommodate the entire wedding party plus their numerous friends and family. His mother never stayed for long because she had to tend to the Manor, but when she was there, she was a major help._

_Hermione didn't even seem to mind that they were sharing their summer trip with so many people. In fact, she seemed to be constantly smiling. Draco figured it had something to do with the fact that she had no known living family anymore, seeing as she had never been able to track down her parents after the war. As long as Hermione was happy, he could be happy too._

_On the day of the wedding, the house was in total chaos. There were flowers everywhere and everyone was running around half dressed and trying to make sure everything was together. Just before two, an owl landed on Draco's windowsill. He had been watching the clouds roll by; hoping that the rain that was promised would either hold off or not fall at all. The owl was a deep brown with gold eyes and he hooted softly as Draco removed the letter from his leg. The owl stayed put, so Draco knew he was to send a reply to whoever sent him the letter._

_Glancing at the letter he was surprised to see the Hogwarts crest on the envelope. He quickly opening it and began to read..._

_**Dear Mr. Malfoy,** _

_**After reviewing your application, I, along with the rest of the board and staff, have decided to extend the job offer of Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts to you. You would start this coming September. Please send reply back immediately if you are still interested in coming to teach at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.** _

_**Sincerely,** _

_**Minerva McGonagall** _

_**Headmistress** _

_**PS: I will see you at the wedding! Congratulations!** _

_Draco's face broke into a huge grin as he hastily scribbled a reply stating that he was extremely grateful for the position and that he would be there September 1st. Then he ran to find Hermione. His dreams were coming true. He was about to marry the love of his life, and he was about to become a Professor at Hogwarts. He knocked on the door to Hermione's room. They had been sleeping separately in order to make their wedding night more exciting._

_Ginny answered the door. She was wearing a red fluffy robe. Her hair and makeup were done and she had an irritated look on her face. "What do you want, Draco? We're busy in here." Draco smiled with excitement, "I have some good news I wanted to share with Hermione."_

_Ginny made an irritated sound. "You can't see her until the wedding. It's bad luck!"_

_He thrust the letter into her hand; her face grew into a grin as she read through the letter. "Draco, this is great. You wait right here; I will bring Hermione to the door. You can tell her without seeing her." Draco nodded and Ginny disappeared into the room. A minute later, he heard the ruffle of a dress and the click of heels._

_Ginny mumbled, "You stand behind this door, Hermione. He cannot see you before the wedding!"_

" _Fine, Ginny. Draco what's wrong?"_

" _It came."_

" _Your letter from Hogwarts? What did it say?"_

_Draco smiled broadly even though she couldn't see him. "I got it! I got the job! I start September first!"_

" _Oh, Draco that's wonderful!" She reached her hand out the door so she could grasp his hand. He smiled down at her engagement ring._

" _I better get going before Ginny has my head. See you at two thirty, my love."_

" _Yes, see you then."_

_The wedding went down without a hitch. Ginny wore a simple green gown that flowed to just below her knees and Luna wore the same, except hers was a maternity dress. They each held bouquets of red roses. Harry and Blaise wore dress robes that were a deep maroon. Their boutonnières were roses charmed to be deep green. Draco was dressed in all white, as he stood waiting patiently for his bride to walk down the aisle to him._

_He watched her as she made her way toward him. She was wearing a simple veil, so he could still see her smiling face. Her gown was strapless and had a green and maroon sash around the waist. Her bouquet was a mixture of the green ivy and red roses._

_After vowels were shared, McGonagall, who was presiding over the ceremony, announced them wizard and wife. They then joined their friends and family in a feast that could rival those held at Hogwarts._

"And so my children, that is how you're mother and I came to be married."

Draco looked down to find that both of his children were fast asleep. He frowned and looked around. He hadn't been talking for that long had he? He was startled to find that Hermione was lying behind him with a large picnic basket.

"I wasn't rambling that much, was I?"

Hermione giggled and sat up to give her husband a kiss on the cheek. "Darling, I don't think they're really old enough to appreciate such a tale."

Draco nodded and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "Someday they will enjoy it, I suppose."

Hermione smiled and shook her head. Suddenly, her eyes caught on storm clouds forming in the horizon. "Look, Draco. We might have to take this picnic inside."

Draco followed her gaze and felt a pull of nervousness in the pit of his stomach. He didn't really care for storms; although, that last one truly gave him the best experience of his life. Hermione and his children.

Hermione, seeing his discomfort, leaned her head against his shoulder. "I don't think we have anything to worry about. It's just a little storm."

Draco laughed and pulled his wife close for a kiss, "I think you're right."

"Oh, and Draco?"

"Yes, Hermione?"

"I'm pregnant."

Draco's mouth popped open in surprise, but he quickly closed it as a huge grin spread across his face. "Of course you are, my love. Our love is always formed  _in the heart of the storm_."

**Author's Note:**

> For updates and information about my other works and projects, check me out on...  
> [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/xxDustNight88/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel)  
> [tumblr](https://xxdustnight88.tumblr.com/)  
> [LiveJournal](https://xxdustnight88.livejournal.com/)  
> [Fanfiction.net](https://www.fanfiction.net/~xxdustnight88)


End file.
